Sumo Tickets in Japan: The Six Tournaments, How to Buy Official Tickets, Seat Types, Tours and Etiquette

Watching a professional sumo tournament live is one of the most memorable things you can do in Japan: the salt throwing, the stare-downs and the few seconds of explosive action, in a hall full of cheering fans. But tournaments happen only six times a year, tickets often sell out, and the official ticket site has rules that catch visitors out. This guide covers the 2027 tournament dates and when tickets go on sale, using the Japan Sumo Association's official schedule, how to buy from the official ticket site, what each seat type is like, and what to do if tickets are gone.

If your dates don't line up with a tournament, or the seats are sold out, don't give up on sumo: there are other ways to see it up close, and we cover those too.

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The six tournaments and when tickets go on sale

Professional sumo holds six grand tournaments (honbasho) a year. Each lasts 15 days, from a Sunday to a Sunday two weeks later. The Japan Sumo Association's official schedule lists the 2027 dates:

• November 2026 (Fukuoka, November 8 to 22): the official sites say tickets are sold out on all dates and no tickets will be sold on the day.
• January 2027 (Tokyo, January 10 to 24): advance tickets go on sale on December 5, 2026. For the September and November 2026 tournaments, sales on the English ticket site opened at 10:00 a.m. Japan time on the first sale day.
• Tickets can sell out, as the November 2026 tournament did, and if tickets are sold out by the day of the event, the Kokugikan box office sells no tickets on the day. If sumo is a must, set a reminder for the sale date.

How to buy official tickets

The Japan Sumo Association's ticket page links to one official English site, Ticket Oosumo English. Its rules, on the day we checked:

• Payment: credit card only.
• Service fee: 2,000 yen per ticket on the English site.
• Getting the ticket: you print it at a 7-Eleven in Japan. The purchase confirmation screen and email explain how. Your seat number appears when the ticket is printed.
• No changes, no refunds: tickets can't be changed or canceled for any reason, and a lost ticket means you can't enter.
• Times are Japan time, so convert the sale time to your own time zone.

Seat types and prices

There are two kinds of seats: Japanese-style box seats (masu-seki) on the floor, and chair seats in the upper level. These are the prices for the September 2026 tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan (Tokyo), tax included:

• Box seats are sold as a whole box. The basic rule is 4 people per box, and you take off your shoes and sit on cushions on the floor, so they can be tiring for long legs. In Fukuoka, the November 2026 list also had "Special C Box Seats" and "Pair Seats with table" for 2 people.
• Chair seats are the easiest choice for most visitors: sold one by one, ordinary seats, and the cheapest way in. Prices vary by venue; in Fukuoka in November 2026, chair C was 2,500 yen on weekends and holidays and 2,000 yen on weekdays.
• Children aged 4 and older need a ticket, and there are no special children's prices.
• Wheelchair users need a wheelchair seat: 8,000 yen for a wheelchair user and one companion, reserved by phone in Japanese only and paid at a 7-Eleven in Japan.

A day at the tournament

One ticket covers the whole day, from the junior divisions in the morning to the top division in the afternoon. According to the official ticket site:

• Doors open at 8:45 a.m. at Ryogoku Kokugikan on most days (later on the last few days), and matches finish around 6:00 p.m.
• The top-division wrestlers start around 2:00 p.m. Arriving after lunch is fine if you mainly want the big names.
• Re-entry: at Ryogoku Kokugikan you can leave and come back once, returning by 17:00. In Fukuoka in November 2026, re-entry was allowed as many times as needed, also by 17:00.

Etiquette and what not to bring

The Japan Sumo Association's spectator terms set the rules for everyone in the hall:

• No bottles or cans and no dangerous items. Bags may be checked at the entrance; the association announced bag inspections on set days, for example on day 8 of the January 2026 tournament.
• No flash photography or anything that dazzles the wrestlers.
• No trumpets, drums, whistles, banners or flags for cheering, and no organized group cheering without permission.
• Stay in your own seat; don't watch from aisles, stairs or empty seats that aren't yours.
• Take your shoes off in box seats, and keep an eye on the ring: the terms remind spectators to watch out for wrestlers falling from the ring.

No tickets? Other ways to see sumo

If the tournament is sold out or not on during your trip, two kinds of experiences are popular with visitors. Both are clear on their booking pages about what they are:

• Sumo shows, such as the one in Shinjuku (Tokyo) above or the Asakusa (Tokyo) show with chanko hot pot below, are entertainment with demonstrations, explanations in English and a chance to step into the ring. The Asakusa (Tokyo) show says its bouts are by former sumo wrestlers.
• Morning practice visits take you inside a sumo stable to watch wrestlers train; the one below says its wrestlers are active professionals. They start early and have strict rules: no talking, no eating, a silent camera, and sitting on the floor.

Want to see real training? The sumo morning practice visit in Tokyo on Klook (affiliate link) meets at Ryogoku Station at 7:45 a.m. with an English and Japanese-speaking guide, and is for ages 6 and up (checked October 17, 2026). Read the rules on the booking page: silence is part of the deal.

Getting there

Ryogoku Kokugikan is next to Ryogoku Station on the JR Sobu Line and the Toei Oedo Line in Tokyo. The other venues are EDION Arena Osaka (the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium), IG Arena in Nagoya (Aichi) and Fukuoka Kokusai Center. If you plan to combine a tournament with a Kyoto or Osaka trip, our guide to the Japan Rail Pass and Shinkansen tickets helps with the train, and sending your suitcase ahead with luggage forwarding keeps the day easy, since big bags and box seats don't mix.

Ready to plan your sumo day? If you can make a tournament, set a reminder for the sale date and buy on the official site. If not, book the Asakusa (Tokyo) sumo show with all-you-can-eat chanko hot pot on Klook (affiliate link), where you watch bouts up close, hear the rules explained in English and Japanese, and may get a chance to challenge a wrestler in the ring.

Last reviewed: October 17, 2026. Tournament dates, ticket sales and prices change; please check the official pages below before you buy.

References

• Japan Sumo Association (official): Grand Tournament Schedule
• Japan Sumo Association (official): How to Buy
• Ticket Oosumo English (official ticket site)
• Ticket Oosumo English: September Grand Tournament (prices and rules)
• Ticket Oosumo English: November Grand Tournament (Fukuoka)
• Japan Sumo Association (official, Japanese): Spectator Contract Terms
• Japan Sumo Association (official): Notice of baggage inspection