Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka, Japan
Sumo tickets: when each tournament goes on sale
Updated
On a Saturday at 10:00 Japan time, on Ticket Oosumo, the official seller. Tokyo and Osaka tournaments go on sale 4 to 5 weeks before the first day, and Nagoya and Fukuoka 7 to 8 weeks before.
- When does booking open?
- On a Saturday at 10:00 JST, 4 to 8 weeks before the first day. The January 2027 tournament in Tokyo, from 10 to 24 January, goes on sale at 10:00 JST on Saturday 5 December 2026. The Nagoya tournament from 11 July 2027 goes on sale on Saturday 15 May 2027.
- How far ahead is that?
- 4 to 5 weeks ahead in Tokyo and Osaka, 7 to 8 weeks in Nagoya and Fukuoka.
- Where do I book?
- Online on Ticket Oosumo, the official ticket site of the Japan Sumo Association, which has an English version. Nagoya tickets are also sold through Lawson Ticket.
- Does it sell out?
- Often. Each of the 15 days is sold separately, and some tournaments sell out on every day. The November 2026 tournament in Fukuoka was sold out on all 15 days by the start of November, with no tickets left for sale on the day. When a day sells out in advance, no tickets are sold at the venue that day.
- Can I cancel or change?
- Tickets cannot be changed or refunded for any reason once bought. A lost ticket is not reissued, and there is no entry without it. Reselling a ticket without permission is prohibited.
- How much are sumo tickets?
- In Tokyo from January 2027, chair seats start at 5,000 yen on weekdays and 6,000 yen at weekends. A box for four starts at 44,000 yen on weekdays. Ringside seats are 25,000 to 30,000 yen. Ticket Oosumo's English site adds 2,000 yen per ticket.
- When are the Grand Sumo tournaments held?
- Six times a year, for 15 days each: January, May and September in Tokyo, March in Osaka, July in Nagoya and November in Fukuoka.
- Can I buy sumo tickets on the day?
- Only if the day has not sold out in advance. If tickets are sold out before the day, none are sold at the venue.
- Can I cancel or refund sumo tickets?
- No. Tickets cannot be changed or refunded for any reason, and a lost ticket is not reissued.
How to book
Note the six tournaments: January, May and September at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, March at EDION Arena Osaka, July at IG Arena in Nagoya, and November at Fukuoka Kokusai Center. Each runs for 15 days, Sunday to Sunday.
Find the sale date on the Japan Sumo Association schedule. Each tournament has its own advance sale day, always a Saturday, and sales open at 10:00 JST.
Buy on Ticket Oosumo's English site with a credit card. It charges a service fee of 2,000 yen per ticket. The best box seats and the ringside seats are sold only on the Japanese site.
In Tokyo from January 2027, a weekday seat is 5,000 yen for the cheapest chair seat (Chair C), 10,000 yen for Chair A, and 11,000 yen per person for a Box B, which is sold as a whole box for four, so 44,000 yen. Weekend and holiday prices are 1,000 to 2,500 yen more per seat, and the 14th and final days more again. Ringside seats are 25,000 to 30,000 yen. Prices are per person, tax included, before the service fee.
Print the tickets at a Seven-Eleven store in Japan. There is no e-ticket.
If it’s sold out
Check each day of the tournament on Ticket Oosumo. The 15 days are sold separately, so one sold-out day does not mean the whole tournament is gone.
Pick another tournament. Tokyo hosts three a year, and the July tournament in Nagoya and the March tournament in Osaka are separate sales.
Booking for a group
A box seat holds four people sitting on cushions, so groups of four book well together. A pair buying a box pays for all four places.
Children aged 4 and over need their own ticket, and the English site has no child price.
Buy all the tickets in one order on the sale morning, so the group sits together.
Good to know
- Bouts run from the morning to about 18:00. The top division enters the ring at about 14:00, so an early afternoon arrival catches the top bouts.
- At the Kokugikan in Tokyo, doors open at 8:45, at 10:30 on days 13 and 14, and at 10:00 on the final day. One re-entry is allowed, returning by 17:00.
- Box seats are cushions on the floor, with shoes off. Chair seats suit anyone who prefers a seat with a back.
- An International Advance Lottery is sometimes held before the general sale for visitors from abroad, with a fee of 550 yen per ticket. Ticket Oosumo announces it on its English site.
Sources
- Japan Sumo Association: tournament schedule (official): The dates, venues and advance sale days of every tournament in 2026, 2027 and 2028, such as the January 2027 tournament from 10 to 24 January, on sale on 5 December 2026, and the July 2027 tournament from 11 July, on sale on 15 May.
- Japan Sumo Association: ticket price list (official, PDF): Per person prices, tax included, from the January 2027 tournament, with weekday, weekend and holiday, and 14th and final day rates in Tokyo, such as Chair C at 5,000, 6,000 and 7,000 yen, Box B at 11,000, 12,500 and 14,000 yen, and ringside at 25,000, 27,500 and 30,000 yen.
- Ticket Oosumo: English site (official seller): Sales open at 10:00 JST; credit card only; a 2,000 yen service fee per ticket; tickets printed at Seven-Eleven in Japan; no change or refund for any reason; box seats sold as whole boxes for four; Box S and ringside seats only on the Japanese site; children aged 4 and over need a ticket; no tickets on the day once a day sells out; the November 2026 tournament sold out on all dates.
Booking rules change; the official site has the last word.