A Home Run in Tokyo

Even before the 2020 Olympic Games, which were successfully held under unprecedented circumstances, Tokyo has had a long track record in sports, having previously hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup and the 2019 Rugby World Cup. In 2025, Tokyo is set to add two more landmark global sporting events to its credentials. 

In September 2025, Tokyo will welcome more than 2,000 athletes from approximately 200 countries for the World Athletic Championships, marking the second time the city has hosted the event. Fans will be able to cheer from the Japan National Stadium, a state-of-the-art venue built for the 2020 Games that features eco-friendly climate control through its unique design.

Tokyo has also been chosen to host the 25^th Deaflympics in November 2025, an event that will mark the 100^th anniversary of the Deaflympics movement. Held every four years, the Games will feature athletics, football, handball, martial arts, orienteering, and other sports for deaf athletes at venues across the Greater Tokyo area.

Visitors to Tokyo can enjoy the thrill of watching live sports, with healthy league options available year round such as J-League soccer or Japan Rugby League One.

Japan’s number one sport is baseball, and from late March to October, fans can witness one of the country’s most popular baseball teams, the Yomiuri Giants, at the 55,000-capacity Tokyo Dome. After the game, visitors can explore the rest of Tokyo Dome City, which includes a host of sporting facilities and an amusement park, or head across the city to the Jingu Baseball Stadium, home of the Yakult Swallows, before taking a stroll in the adjacent Yoyogi Park.

Tokyo is also home to sumo wrestling, and in January, May, and September, the 11,000-seat Kokugikan Arena—close to the popular sightseeing areas of Akihabara and Asakusa—hosts three of Japan’s six annual grand sumo tournaments, each featuring 15 days of bone-crunching bouts.

While fights can be over in just a few intense seconds of striking and grappling, the elaborate ceremonies that occur before matches are equally as interesting to behold, including ring cleansing rituals and a warm up routine known as ‘shikiri.’  For a behind-the-scenes experience, a guided tour of a sumo training stable allows guests to witness the grueling morning workouts that wrestlers endure, and even try out a traditional sumo breakfast.

Beyond the bleachers, Tokyo offers a wealth of sporting options for visitors who do not want to put their fitness goals on hold while away from home. Arguably the most popular running spot in the city is an uninterrupted 5-km (3.1 mi) loop that circles the Imperial Palace’s moats, providing access to sites such as the National Diet and offering impressive views of nearby Tokyo Tower.

Still within the city center, a kayak tour of Tokyo’s historic downtown waterways and canals offers glimpses back to the Edo period while taking in landmarks like the Tokyo Skytree. For visitors who prefer to stay on land, guided cycling tours provide a fun, eco-friendly way to explore off the beaten path and enjoy a more local experience. Just a few steps from the iconic Shibuya Scramble lies the fashionable Miyashita Park complex, where visitors can try bouldering or skateboarding before eating their way across Japan at the Shibuya Yokocho food alley.