For Tokyoites, Ryogoku is synonymous with sumo. And, until a few months ago, that was all it meant to me. Ryogoku is two stops east of Akihabara on the JR Sobu line and is also accessible via Asakusabashi-Ryogoku Station on the Oedo subway line.

This is where you will find the Ryogoku Kokugikan, the official venue of Tokyo's three annual sumo tournaments and the area's most dramatic landmark. But unless you live a stop or two away on the Sobu or Oedo lines, Ryogoku isn't exactly a convenient location.

But this is where you will find Soul Bar -- a dark, spacious watering hole for those with a sumo-size love of soul.