On the other side of the Sumida River from Nihonbashi is Ryogoku, the undisputed center of the sumo world. Popular ways for a visitor to experience the character of the area include watching one of the three annual Tokyo basho (tournaments) at the Kokugikan (Sumo Stadium), joining some of the wrestlers at one of the area's many restaurants serving the sumo staple of chanko nabe, or -- for real enthusiasts -- waiting patiently in line to watch the wrestlers push and shove at an early morning training session at one of the sumo stables that dot the area.

However, another enjoyable way to soak up the local color is to take a stroll down to a small establishment tucked away in a narrow alley near Ryogoku Station, where you will find a photo studio that has specialized for generations in sumo wrestlers' portraits. Every Tuesday afternoon, and every day during the Tokyo tournaments, the studio opens the doors to its gallery next door and allows visitors to peruse (and possibly buy copies of) the photographs inside dating back to the sport's golden era more than half a century ago.

This treasure trove of wrestling images owes its existence in large part to Tetsuro Kudo, who left his hometown of Aomori almost 100 years ago to serve his apprenticeship in a photographer's studio in Hokkaido. After that, Kudo joined the Japanese military, hoping his new skills would come in useful. They did. While World War I was raging mostly far away, he found himself dangling from aircraft taking aerial shots of Japan to help make detailed and accurate maps of the country.