Foreign sumo fans crowd tournaments, morning stables

TOKYO - Sumo is gaining popularity among foreign visitors, with many flocking to tournaments in Tokyo and more stables beginning to accept them on tours to observe morning practice sessions between tournaments.

Last year, tickets for all 90 days of matches sold out for the second consecutive year, with thousands of foreigners watching the bouts each day, while the exhibition Grand Sumo Tournament, held in London in October as the first overseas tournament in 20 years, drew roughly 27,000 fans over five sold-out days.