Naoyoshi Nishihara, CEO of Ochiizumibeya | Osaka Sumo Samurai had never run a tourist experience before. For more than twenty years, he ran a B2B food manufacturing business supplying restaurants and supermarkets across Japan. However, as domestic demand began to shrink, international travelers were filling the gap.
He launched Ochiizumibeya | Osaka Sumo Samuraito understand what international travelers wanted, with the goal of helping his restaurant and retail clients reach them more effectively.
Then he partnered with Konishiki, a famous former sumo wrestler who reached the sport’s second-highest rank and now runs sumo and dinner shows in the United States. Through the partnership, Konishiki’s team manages the former sumo wrestlers, while Naoyoshi’s team shapes the guest experience.
Today, Ochiizumibeya | Osaka Sumo Samurai offers sumo and Japanese sword shows, along with a traditional dinner, in Osaka. Guests can watch live performances, learn the history behind each tradition, and try both firsthand.
In two years, the business grew from humble beginnings, multiplied its revenue 6x, and now welcomes more than 2,000 guests annually.
Naoyoshi and operations manager Yosuke Maekawa explain how GetYourGuide helped them reach international travelers, improve the guest journey, and build a business around Japanese culture.
What opportunity did Ochiizumibeya | Osaka Sumo Samurai see?
Sumo is Japan's only national sport. Official tournaments run just six times a year for fifteen days each. Regional tours take place between seasons, but they move to different cities daily. Tickets sell out quickly. For international travelers, live sumo is a bucket-list experience with few accessible options.
We started Osaka Sumo Experience: Sumo Show, Try Sumo & Hot Pot Meal in April 2024 to fill that gap. Konishiki's team manages the performers, all of whom are former sumo wrestlers building new careers after retirement.
They also send us weekly feedback from their American shows. For example, we added more dramatic sound and lighting, as well as deeper explanations of sumo's rituals and history. Their insights help us stay authentic while we keep evolving.
What changed when you started working with OTAs?
In the first year, we sometimes canceled shows when no guests booked. After we started working with OTAs, those cancellations stopped. Before that, 30% of our guests were domestic, and 70% were international. Today, almost 100% are international, with GetYourGuide driving 70% of bookings, other OTAs 20%, and direct bookings 10%.
Our strategy has been simple: make every guest so satisfied they want to write a review. That focus produced 1,400 reviews and a consistent 4.5-star rating. We also send a thank-you email the next day with a reminder to leave a review.
As similar businesses entered the market in late 2025, revenue and guest volume settled after our spring 2025 peak. We did not change the fundamentals, though. We kept focusing on guest satisfaction, review quality, and authentic experiences.
How does GetYourGuide data shape your marketing?
As competition increased, we started running ads to stay visible. GetYourGuide’s country-of-origin data helps us target Meta ads more effectively. Our top customer countries are the U.S., Australia, and the U.K.
Our Meta ads and Instagram posts all link to the GetYourGuide listing page. GetYourGuide converts better than our direct booking links, so we send travelers there while they are still comparing options.
What changed after you reviewed guest feedback?
Early on, our lowest-rated reviews were mostly about finding us. GetYourGuide's AI analysis confirmed that navigation was the top source of guest dissatisfaction. That insight pushed us to rethink the entire arrival experience.
The review also surfaced another problem. We had listed an earlier start time to reduce late arrivals, but that meant guests who arrived on time had to wait.
Now, we list the accurate start time. Two days before the show, while guests can still reschedule, we send every guest a route video, a Google Maps link, and the full schedule. On show days, we reach out via chat to anyone who hasn't checked in.
That brought our no-show rate close to zero.
How does your location shape booking behavior?
Our venue is just one train stop before the airport, so many guests visit us on their final day in Japan. That makes it easy to include our experience in their itinerary early. Around 30% of GetYourGuide bookings are made 31 days or more in advance.
At first, we ran morning and daytime shows. But once we recognized that most guests were coming before their flights home, we shifted to daytime and evening schedules.
At the same time, guests can book until the moment the show starts. That comes from Yosuke's restaurant background, and it helps us capture same-day demand. When rain disrupts travelers’ outdoor plans, our experience becomes an easy last-minute choice.
How do you plan to grow from here?
At the end of 2025, we added Samurai Master's Real Sword Show & Experience. The practitioners come from a local dojo of traditional Japanese swordsmanship. After several conversations, we saw a shared mission to bring sumo and samurai to the world.
That is why our current top priority is to promote the combo experience on GetYourGuide more. Since guests travel from outside central Osaka to visit us, we want to make the trip worth a full half day.
To make that trip easier, we are developing an airport transfer package with a local transport operator. From there, we plan to expand into central Osaka and Kyoto, building on our existing performer teams.
The mission has not changed: learn what works with international travelers, then help our clients do the same. Several of our clients have already listed on GetYourGuide and started generating bookings.
Key Takeaways
- Tap into unmet demand. Sumo tickets are nearly impossible to get. Ochiizumibeya | Osaka Sumo Samurai fills that gap with an authentic dinner show. Revenue grew 6x in two years. GetYourGuide drives 70% of all bookings.
- Remove every barrier to arrival. A route email two days before the show and same-day chat support nearly eliminated no-shows. A flexible reschedule policy keeps guests committed.
- Send traffic where travelers convert best. Ochiizumibeya | Osaka Sumo Samurai routes all Meta ads and Instagram posts to its GetYourGuide listing page because it converts better than direct bookings.
- Use data to serve guests better. Over 30% of its GetYourGuide bookings are made 31 days or more in advance. When booking patterns showed most guests visiting before their flights home, the team shifted to daytime and evening shows.
- Partner locally to grow globally. Its new samurai experience came from a neighborhood dojo of traditional Japanese swordsmanship. GetYourGuide and other OTAs brought international travelers to experience it.
