160301-0038 - Kokugikan Sumo Hall

The Kokugikan, also known as Sumo Hall, was opened in 1909 (Meiji 42) in Tokyo’s Ryogoku district (両国国技館).

It was designed by famed architect Kingo Tatsuno (辰野金吾, 1854–1919), who also designed Tokyo Station (1914) and the headquarters of the Bank of Japan (1896).

The building was destroyed by fire, the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 (Taisho 12) and WWII bombing, but it was rebuilt each time. It was demolished in the early 1980s, just a wee bit over 70 years old.

This postcard was published sometime between March 1918 (Taisho 7) and February 1933 (Showa 8).