Other than the schools I work at, the place I’ve frequented most by bicycle this year is in the capital city’s sporting home. Along with the Japan Olympic Museum, this particular area of Tokyo has a few sports complexes in very close vicinity of each other. The National Stadium, Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground and Meiji Jingu Stadium are all located within a short walk of each other and I’ve already been to the first two eight times this year! Across from the National Stadium is another sporting venue which has a rich Olympic history.

Although it was built in 1954 for the World Wrestling Championships, Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium came to greater prominence a decade later when it was used for gymnastics in the Tokyo 1964 Olympics. It is one of just a few venues that has been used for two Olympic games as the table tennis took place there in the ill-fated Tokyo 2020 games which took place in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A sign outside the venue commemoraring its use at Tokyo 2020

Whilst those aforementioned venues are all in Shinjuku ward, this 10,000 seater sporting complex is actually located in Shibuya Ward and still looks futuristic today if not a bit worn down. My first visit was for karate in Autumn 2023 and I’ve been back a fair few times since then. These are the five sports events I’ve witnessed at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in 2025 thus far…

1. Table Tennis – Emperor’s Cup and Empress’s Cup (2100 yen), Friday 24th January.

This was quite an overwhelming spectacle as there were 17 matches going on at the same time. It’s a sport which seemingly gets a lot of air time each time the Olympics comes round and due to that I am actually aware of quite a few Japanese players, and the majority of them were taking part in this event. Of the 20+ sports I’ve watched for the first time in the last few years, this is probably the one I’ve enjoyed the most.

2. Wheelchair Basketball – 50th Emperor’s Cup (1000 yen), Friday 31st January.

My first time to see this sport, and the on-court action was highly competitive as indeed I expected having seen a bit of it in previous Paralympic games. There were two games going on simultaneously and it was end to end stuff in the two matches I hung around for.

3. Tennis – 39th Tennis Japan League (0 Yen), Friday 14th February.

What better way to spend Valentine’s Day than watching some indoor tennis!! I can’t say I was too aware of any of the previous 38 incarnations of this tournament but I’m always interested in any tennis competition of note taking place in or around Tokyo. It was men’s quarter finals day and I was expecting an all-Japan line-up but there were a few foreign players in action and indeed we ended up focusing on them the most.

4. Gymnastics – The 64th NHK Cup (2000 yen), Friday 16th May.

When I bought the ticket I didn’t actually realise it was the same tournament I attended the previous year in Gunma Prefecture. The ticket was not free this time but it saved on transportation costs and of course time. It was just as overwhelming as in 2024 as there were often a few events taking place at the same time. Almost every performance looked hugely impressive through the eyes of this novice!

5. Wrestling – Reiwa 7th Year Meiji Cup (1000 yen), Friday 20th June.

The All-Japan selection wrestling championships were taking place over four days and I decided that a return to the tournament I first witnessed in 2024 was worth it again. Unlike 12 months earlier though I sadly didn’t know any of the competitors in action. Still, it’s always nice to see a sport I wouldn’t usually watch.

Click here to read ‘Cobra Kai Inspired Me To Go To A Real Karate Tournament But How Did Reality Compare With Fiction?’

Click here to read ‘Wrestle Mania: A Taste of Authentic Olympic-Style Wrestling Action In Tokyo’

Click here to read ‘Reignite Your Passion For The Olympics At This Tokyo Museum’