Yoshiba
Before visiting The Sumida Hokusai Museum in the afternoon, some of the members including me, ALFA, had lunch together. The museum is located in Ryogoku, known as the town of Sumo, so we had Chanko Nabe at Yoshiba, Chanko Nabe restaurant. Chanko Nabe is one of pot dishes with various kinds of vegetables, seafood and meat, served at Sumo wrestler stables.
Yoshiba is a Japanese restaurant converted from Miyaginobeya Sumo stable which Yoshibayama, one of the grand champions Yokozuna about 60 years ago, used to be the stable master to lead young Sumo wrestlers. So there is Dohyo, the sumo ring, at the center of the restaurant even now. The restaurant is popular among international tourists, and often used for wining and dining after watching Sumo.
The building is preserved almost as it was with the retro looking appearance. Sumo stables these days are in ordinary buildings with just the doorplate of the stable, so the restaurant has a much more stable-like atmosphere.
Looking at the Dohyo and coasters with Dohyo pictures on it, we got excited as if we were in the Sumo arena. Box lunches and Sushi are also listed on the lunch menu. The top favorite Chanko Nabe has four flavors of soup, salt, soy sauce, Miso and spicy Miso. Miso is a Japanese fermented soy bean paste. We ordered salt and Miso soup, enjoyed healthy dishes of vegetables, sea food, meat, and rice porridge at the end.
We got back to JR Ryogoku Station to meet other members and headed for The Sumida Hokusai Museum through the cherry blossom lined street beside The Metropolitan Edo-Tokyo Museum after lunch. Ryogoku Edo NOREN, the place for tourist information, restaurants and souvenir shops, is open beside the station and a Dohyo is also there.
