{"id":448294,"date":"2026-09-26T08:20:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-26T08:20:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/448294\/"},"modified":"2026-09-26T08:20:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-26T08:20:11","slug":"tokyo-x-brings-japanese-culture-sumo-wrestling-and-10-yen-cheese-coins-to-houston","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/448294\/","title":{"rendered":"Tokyo X brings Japanese culture, sumo wrestling and 10-yen cheese coins to Houston"},"content":{"rendered":"

HOUSTON \u2013 Tokyo X<\/a> returns to Houston this weekend, bringing Japanese culture, entertainment, food and plenty of ways to get in on the fun at the Reliant Center.<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re into anime and gaming, cosplay and J-pop, martial arts and taiko drumming, or cars and Japanese food, there\u2019s a lot to explore. The two-day festival also features tea ceremonies, gaming tournaments and a historical exhibit with more than 1,000 authentic artifacts, including samurai armor, Japanese swords and artwork.<\/p>\n

And anime fans have an especially big reason to show up. Four internationally recognized voice actors behind one of anime\u2019s most iconic characters, Goku from the \u201cDragon Ball\u201d series, will appear together at the festival.<\/p>\n

Tokyo X event details<\/p>\n

When: Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 26-27, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.<\/p>\n

Where: Reliant Center, 1 Fannin St.<\/p>\n

Tickets: General admission starts at $30.27<\/p>\n

Sumo wrestling takes center stage<\/p>\n

At the festival, you\u2019ll get plenty of chances to jump into Japanese culture \u2014 including a look at the traditional sport of sumo wrestling.<\/p>\n

Houston native Nicholas Ton is the co-founder of Sh\u014dgeki Sumo<\/a>, a nonprofit introducing audiences to the sport while helping its wrestlers compete nationally and internationally. The team has even competed in Japan at the amateur world championships and is preparing for another world championship in Azerbaijan.<\/p>\n

So, what does it take to win a sumo match? The goal is simple: force your opponent out of the ring or make any part of their body, other than the soles of their feet, touch the ground. But there\u2019s much more to sumo than what happens inside the ring. Rituals such as shiko, the traditional leg lift and stomp, and throwing salt to purify the ring are part of the sport\u2019s rich history and symbolism.<\/p>\n

You can see Sh\u014dgeki Sumo in action this Sunday at Tokyo X \u2014 and see a preview in the video above.<\/p>\n

Want to give sumo a try? Sh\u014dgeki Sumo holds practices on Tuesdays at Buffalo Bayou Park and Thursdays and Sundays at O Athletik. Visit shogekisumo.com<\/a> for practice details and more information.<\/p>\n

A taste of sumo culture<\/p>\n

What started as a way to help fund Sh\u014dgeki Sumo\u2019s competitions has turned into a delicious side of the dojo.<\/p>\n

Nicholas began hosting food pop-ups in 2022, starting with chankonabe, the hearty stew traditionally eaten by sumo wrestlers in Japan. Today, the food sales help pay for competition fees, travel, accommodations and other expenses as the team competes nationally and internationally.<\/p>\n

The menu now includes Japanese-inspired favorites such as 10-yen cheese coins and omurice. All weekend at Tokyo X, the team is adding something new: Japanese-inspired fried chicken wings.<\/p>\n

What is a 10-yen cheese coin?<\/p>\n

f you like a good cheese pull, this one\u2019s for you.<\/p>\n

The 10-yen cheese coin is a golden waffle cake made in a custom waffle maker shaped like a Japanese 10-yen coin. Inside is melted cheese that stretches when you pull the waffle apart.<\/p>\n

Nicholas shows us how to make the snack with waffle batter and mozzarella. And while you may not have the special coin-shaped waffle maker at home, you can make your own version with a regular waffle maker.<\/p>\n

To make it at home, prepare your favorite waffle mix according to the package instructions. Add mozzarella, Colby Jack or another cheese that melts well between layers of batter. Cook in a waffle maker until golden and cooked through.<\/p>\n

Serve with syrup or your favorite dipping sauce. For a savory kick, mix Kewpie mayonnaise with CHIN-SU chili sauce to taste.<\/p>\n

See Sh\u014dgeki Sumo at Tokyo X<\/p>\n

For Sh\u014dgeki Sumo, the food is about more than a tasty snack. Every bite helps support the team\u2019s journey to competitions around the country and the world.<\/p>\n

You can sample the team\u2019s food throughout Tokyo X, including its new Japanese-inspired fried chicken wings, and see Sh\u014dgeki Sumo\u2019s wrestlers in action Sunday.<\/p>\n

From sumo wrestling and Japanese-inspired food to anime, music, fashion and more, Tokyo X brings a wide range of Japanese culture and entertainment to Houston.<\/p>\n

Tokyo X takes place Sept. 26-27 at Reliant Center from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. General admission starts at $30.27.<\/p>\n

For tickets and information, visit tokyonightfest.com.<\/a><\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HOUSTON \u2013 Tokyo X returns to Houston this weekend, bringing Japanese culture, entertainment, food and plenty of ways…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":448295,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[2777,64,8194,727,56,58,1735,57,154452,69,154451],"class_list":["post-448294","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-houston","tag-entertainment","tag-events","tag-features","tag-festival","tag-houston","tag-houston-headlines","tag-houston-life","tag-houston-news","tag-sumo-wrestling","tag-things-to-do","tag-tokyo-x"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/448294","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=448294"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/448294\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/448295"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=448294"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=448294"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=448294"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}