Sumo tickets in Japan: the 2026 and 2027 tournament dates, when tickets go on sale, seat prices, buying from abroad and the day itself

The six Grand Sumo Tournaments

Professional sumo has a fixed calendar. The Japan Sumo Association holds six Grand Sumo Tournaments a year, one every two months, and each lasts 15 days. In Japanese each one is a basho, and it is named after its month: the January basho, the March basho and so on. Three are held in Tokyo, at the Ryogoku Kokugikan, and the other three in Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka, one in each city.

A tournament always starts and ends on a Sunday, so it covers three weekends. The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) puts it simply: "Each tournament lasts around 15 days, giving visitors a reasonable chance of getting tickets." That chance has narrowed lately. GO TOKYO, Tokyo's official travel site, reports: "In 2024, tickets for all 90 sumo match days sold out for the first time in 28 years, and current interest in the sport is at an all-time high."

Sumo tournament dates for 2026 and 2027

The dates below come from the Japan Sumo Association's own schedule. The last column is the day the general ticket sale opens for the 2027 tournaments.

The association has already published the 2028 dates too, so you can plan well ahead.

When sumo tickets go on sale

Each tournament's general sale opens at 10 a.m. Japan time on a Saturday, between about four and eight weeks before the first day. For January 2027 the gap is five weeks, from 5 December 2026 to 10 January 2027, and for July it is longer, with tickets for Nagoya on sale from 15 May. Check what 10 a.m. in Japan is where you live, and be ready at your screen.

The general sale is not the first chance to buy. Ticket Oosumo's Japanese pages list lotteries in the weeks before it: two for members of the Grand Sumo Official Fan Club, then one run by Ticket Oosumo itself, then one at Ticket Pia, the agency that runs the site. For the January 2026 tournament, the fan club's first lottery took applications from 14 to 17 November 2025, three weeks before the general sale on 6 December. The English site also runs an advance lottery, and charges a special sales fee of 550 yen per ticket on top of the usual fee if you buy that way.

Ticket Oosumo also shows how many seats are left for each day. Its Japanese availability page is updated at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays, and the English site has a View Available Seats page of its own.

Official sumo ticket sites

Ticket Oosumo, at sumo.pia.jp, is the official ticket site of Grand Sumo, run for the Japan Sumo Association by Ticket Pia. It comes in two versions, and they are not quite the same. The Japan Sumo Association's own How to Buy page in English lists the English one as its ticket site, and the English home page carries a warning about other sellers: "We are not responsible for any unauthorized ticket sold from other website."

The English site is the easier choice for most visitors. Its terms are short and clear: "Payment Method：Credit card only", "Service Fee：2,000yen charge per ticket", and "Only printable at Seven-Eleven in Japan." The Japanese site is cheaper per ticket and has more seats, but everything is in Japanese, and since 2025 it has asked every member to confirm their identity by the phone number they registered with, and every card to be registered for 3-D Secure 2.0 with the bank that issued it. Cards without it cannot be used.

Sumo seats and prices

A sumo arena has three kinds of seat. Closest to the ring are cushions on the floor, the ringside tamari seats. Behind them are the masu boxes, small squares of floor where a group sits on cushions. Further back, and in Tokyo on the second floor, are ordinary chairs. JNTO sums up the choice: "Ringside seats are limited and even a bit dangerous, as there is always the chance a wrestler will fall out of the ring." It adds: "Masu-seki, box seats which can fit up to four people, give you a close-up view of the matches, and you can enjoy snacks and drinks while cheering on the wrestlers." And: "Arena seats on the second level are more affordable for casual visitors."

The English site explains the boxes plainly: "In box seats, you must remove your shoes and sit on one of the square-shaped cushions provided inside the box. The basic rule is that 4 guests occupy one box." Four adults in one box is a tight fit for a whole day. GO TOKYO calls the boxes "likely a bit cramped by Western standards. If you'd like to enjoy the full day of action, a table seat with chairs is perhaps more comfortable." If sitting on the floor for hours would be hard for you, a chair seat is the simple answer, and Osaka and Fukuoka also sell seats for two with a table. On the Japanese site, boxes in Tokyo come in sizes from one person to six, depending on the grade, at the same price per person.

Sumo ticket prices in Tokyo from January 2027

The Japan Sumo Association announced on 30 July 2026 that prices in Tokyo and Osaka rise from the January 2027 tournament, and it added a new top grade of box, SS, for the first two rows, on 1 October. Its price list notes "※すべて１人あたりの料金です。", meaning that all prices are per person. In the table below, the lower figure is the weekday price, and the higher one is for day 14 and the final day in 2027, or for weekends and public holidays in 2026. Prices are in yen and include tax.

On the English site, a box is priced for all four people. In 2026 the cheapest box in Tokyo, Box C, cost 34,000 yen on a weekday and 38,000 yen at weekends, four times the price per person. Day 14 is always a Saturday and the final day a Sunday, and from 2027 these two days in Tokyo have a price level of their own.

Prices in Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka

Osaka's prices also rise from the March 2027 tournament. Most seats there go up by between 1,000 and 2,000 yen per person: a weekday Chair C goes from 4,000 to 5,000 yen, and a weekday Box C from 8,500 to 9,500 yen per person. Osaka also sells a box for two with a table, at 11,000 yen in 2026 and 13,000 yen from 2027. For Nagoya and Fukuoka, the price list says "入場料金改定せず", meaning no change to admission prices.

The English site shows these prices for the July tournament in Nagoya and the November tournament in Fukuoka. The lower figure is the weekday price, and the higher one is for weekends and holidays. Boxes are priced for four people, and chairs for one.

Fukuoka is the cheapest of the four cities: a weekday Chair C there costs 2,000 yen. Nagoya also sells Chair SS and Chair D seats. Fukuoka sells two seats for two people at 19,000 yen: a Box C for four used by only two, and a pair of chairs with a table.

Fees, children and wheelchair seats

Buying sumo tickets from overseas

You can buy sumo tickets before you leave home. The Japan Sumo Association's How to Buy page keeps it short: "log on to one of the websites to place your order. It's as simple as that!" In practice the steps look like this on the English site.

JNTO's advice is to move quickly: "It is best to reserve seats as early as possible, particularly if you want to get a box seat." Its page on Ryogoku adds: "Tickets often go fast, so keep an eye on the official website if you're planning to go." The credit card guide covers paying in Japan more generally.

Same-day tickets and sold-out days

You can buy a ticket on the day of the matches only if that day has not sold out. The English site sets out the rule for the Kokugikan in one line: "If tickets are sold out by the day of the event, no tickets will be sold on the day." The Japanese site says the same, "※当日までに完売の場合、当日券販売はございません。", meaning that if tickets sell out before the day, there is no same-day sale. On a day with seats left, the Japanese site keeps selling until 5 p.m. on the day itself, so check the site before you set off rather than going to the arena on the off chance.

A sold-out day does not have to mean no sumo at all. These are the options that are open to anyone.

One thing that does not help on a sold-out day in Tokyo is the Sumo Museum inside the Kokugikan. It is free at other times, but during a tournament you need a match ticket to get in.

Resale and ticket touts

The official ticket site warns against other sellers in plain words: "Be careful of ticket resale sites!" Its notice on ticket use explains why: "The resale or transfer of tickets to third parties without the organizer's permission is strictly prohibited, including through internet auctions or any similar methods." The only exception is a ticket passed on to family, friends or colleagues, not for profit and not as a business.

The risk comes at the door. The same notice goes on: "Anyone who obtains tickets for the purpose of engaging in prohibited resale or transfer activities, including organizing tours or packages without the organizer's permission, may be refused entry to the event." Ticket Oosumo's Japanese resale page adds "不正転売されたチケットでは、当日ご入場いただけない場合がございます。", meaning that with a ticket that has been resold illegally, you may not be allowed in on the day.

The face-value resale is the official answer to sold-out days. Its rules are written in Japanese only, on the Japanese site, and this is how they work.

A day at the sumo

A tournament day is long. The English site sums it up: "Oosumo matches start in the morning and finish around 6 p.m." and "You can enjoy all matches from morning till night with your tickets." It also gives the time of the top bouts: "Main matches of the top-division Sumo wrestlers start around 2 p.m." At all four arenas in 2026, the doors open at 8:45 for the first 12 days, at 10:30 on days 13 and 14, a Friday and a Saturday, and at 10:00 on the final Sunday.

The order of the day follows rank. The Japan Sumo Association's introduction to sumo explains: "The matches start in the morning with those of the lowest-ranking rikishi, followed by those of progressively higher and higher rank, building up to a climax towards the end of the day with the bouts featuring the yokozuna." Rikishi is the Japanese word for a sumo wrestler, and yokozuna, the grand champions, are the top rank. Wrestlers in makushita and the divisions below fight on only seven of the 15 days.

The aprons in the ring-entering ceremony are worth watching for. The introduction describes them as "beautifully made of silk, richly embroidered with different designs, and hemmed with gold fringe, cost upwards of approximately 1,000,000 yen." Over his apron the yokozuna has a thick rope of braided hemp, which usually weighs between 11 and 15 kg.

Each bout opens with a ritual that takes longer than the fight. The two wrestlers crouch forward, knuckles down, in a get-set position, then walk back to their own corners, take another handful of salt and throw it, and crouch once more. This is the shikiri. In the top division it usually goes on for the four minutes the rules permit, in juryo the limit is three minutes, and in the lowest divisions the wrestlers have to begin almost straight away. The salt purifies the ring, and only wrestlers of makuuchi and juryo, and sometimes makushita, throw it. When the bout finally starts, "The bout itself is usually over quite quickly, in less time than it took for warming up". The Japan Sumo Association counts 82 winning techniques, and many of them depend on a grip on the other wrestler's mawashi, the belt.

GO TOKYO notes one more ritual: "Sponsoring companies are displayed on cloth banners carried around the ring before matches start." And it warns that the hall is not quiet: "While the atmosphere is respectful, the crowd gets rowdy and loud, especially during epic matches."

Food, drink and leaving the arena

Eating and drinking in the box seats is part of the day, though not at ringside. GO TOKYO says: "Sumo is a fun and exciting event, and the arena has many options for alcoholic beverages and great traditional food." It adds: "There are also many vendors selling merchandise for individual sumo legends." JNTO's list of things to do includes "Sampling sake and yakitori at the sumo stadium" and "Watching the arrival of the high-ranking wrestlers in the afternoon".

The Sumo Spectator Contract Terms also set the house rules. Most are common sense, and these are the ones visitors are most likely to meet.

Getting to the sumo arenas

Each tournament has its own arena, and all four are close to a station or a bus stop. Plan on public transport: the official access pages say there is no parking at the Kokugikan in Tokyo or at IG Arena in Nagoya.

For the Kokugikan, the JR Sobu Line takes you to the door. GO TOKYO gives these times to Ryogoku: "From Haneda Airport: 55 minutes by train. From Narita Airport: 90 minutes by train. From Shinjuku Station: 22 minutes on the JR Sobu Line to Ryogoku Station." From Tokyo Station, take the Yamanote Line to Akihabara and change to the Sobu Line, a trip of 13 to 16 minutes.

JNTO adds a warning for match days: "During tournament season the station can get quite crowded, so arriving early is recommended." An IC card such as Suica pays for all of these trains, and our Suica guide explains how to get one.

Nagoya and Fukuoka need a little more planning. In Nagoya the problem is the crowd at the end of the day, and in Fukuoka the arena is reached by bus. The official access pages give these details, with the bus stops in Japanese as they appear on the signs.

If you need a taxi at the end of the day anywhere, our taxi guide explains how taxis and taxi apps work in Japan.

Ryogoku beyond the matches

Ryogoku, the district around the Kokugikan, is worth a visit with or without a match ticket. GO TOKYO describes the arena as "right next to the station, distinguished by its large, low, green roof. During tournament seasons, the area is festooned with colored flags denoting the names of competitors." Those flags are the tall banners in the photo at the top of this page.

The Sumo Museum

The Sumo Museum is inside the Kokugikan, on the first floor (1F). Its exhibits change, and GO TOKYO lists among them "original woodblock prints, sumo dolls and the large embroidered aprons, called kesho-mawashi, worn by highest-ranking wrestlers."

Chanko-nabe in Ryogoku

After the museum, have lunch the way the wrestlers do. GO TOKYO says: "Chanko-nabe is every sumo wrestler's daily staple." The wrestlers of a stable cook it in one huge pot and eat it together, a hotpot packed with vegetables, meat and seafood. The dish dates from the Edo period, some 400 years ago. JNTO's list of things not to miss starts with "Trying a bowl of chanko nabe, a rich stew traditionally eaten by sumo wrestlers".

One well-known place is Chanko Kirishima, a restaurant on eight floors, a two-minute walk from the Kokugikan. Its founder, the former wrestler Kirishima, opened it in 1997 after he retired as an ozeki, the second-highest rank. He is known today as Michinoku Kazuhiro. Its broth is inspired by the tonkotsu ramen of Kyushu, his home region: a pork and chicken stock lifted with yuzu kosho, a spicy citrus paste. The menus are in English, with clear photos. It is busy during tournaments, so GO TOKYO says to book ahead, by phone or online.

Ryogoku has more to see than sumo. These four stops are all in the district, and the first two are museums.

Sumo stables and morning practice

Professional wrestlers train at their stables, and many stables are in Ryogoku. GO TOKYO's guide to the district says that some stables let visitors watch morning practice, but under strict conditions, and that you need to research them yourself. Its walking guide points to the simpler way: "Get up early to visit a sumo stable to watch the training, through an organized tour".

Even without a tour, you may see wrestlers in the street. GO TOKYO says: "Ryogoku is home to many sumo stables too, so it's not unusual to spot real wrestlers out and about, especially during the tournament days." JNTO tells you what to look for: wrestlers "walking around dressed in kimono with their hair styled in the traditional topknot."

For something to take home, or for a taste of sumo on a day without tickets, these two places are worth knowing. Our souvenir guide has more ideas for gifts from Japan.

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To cite or link to this page: Sumo tickets in Japan: the 2026 and 2027 tournament dates, when tickets go on sale, seat prices, buying from abroad and the day itself — Japan Pocket Guide, https://japanpocketguide.com/culture/sumo-tickets/ Copy