A Complete Guide To Sumo In Tokyo & Why It’s a Must-Do!

Seeing sumo in Tokyo Japan is a must do as a tourist! It’s their national sport, and it was a highlight of my trip to Japan!

But seeing sumo in Tokyo is be easier said than done!

I’ll give you an overview of how to see sumo wrestling in Japan and go into the nitty gritty of actually going to a sumo tournament in Tokyo.

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

Why You Have To See Sumo In Japan: A Brief History

Sumo wrestling in Japan actually goes way, way back! It’s one of the oldest sports in the world!

Sumo Wrestling Is An Ancient Sport

Sumo wrestling is one of the oldest sports, dating back over 1500 years!

In fact, there’s a legend that says Japanese people only exist today because the deity Takemikazuchi won a sumo match against a rival tribe.

So it’s only natural that sumo became a ritual dedicated to the G-ds. Over time an annual sumo festival started which included dances and music.

During wartime in the 1200s, certain techniques even inspired the samurai!

But eventually it became a form of entertainment, as most sports are these days!

Sumo Wrestling Isn’t Just A Sport

Part of what’s unique about sumo wrestling in Japan is the religious aspect still associated with the sport today.

In addition to the actual fight, there’s the formal entrance ceremony, throwing salt, sipping water, bowing, clapping… and more!

When you’re watching sumo wrestling, you might think the wrestlers are merely stretching in preparation for the fight, but it’s all a part of the larger ritual before the match.

Back in the day, these rituals were prayers to the gods asking for a good harvest that year. Today, it’s really just tradition!

Two Ways To See Sumo In Japan: Sumo Practice Vs. Tournament

There are actually two ways to see sumo in Japan: by seeing a morning practice or a tournament.

You won’t really have a choice between the two, it all depends on the timing of when you’re in Japan.

Obviously, if there’s no tournament taking place while you’re in Japan, you won’t be able to go to one. And there’s typically no practice during a tournament or the week (to give the wrestlers a break!).

Sumo Practice

Sumo practice happens at the Sumo Stables, called asageiko, and takes place in the morning (I’m talking early morning – so be prepared!).

There are two benefits to going to an asageiko. First, it’s free.

Second, you’re typically A LOT closer to the sumo wrestlers during practice than at the arena.

But! It’s also a lot more complicated to see a sumo practice… especially if you don’t know any Japanese.

You can’t just walk into a practice session, and they don’t have an online reservation system. That leaves you with calling the Sumo Stable…

I recommend asking your hotel to call for you a few days before you want to go. This might make communicating a lot easier.

Alternatively, you can book a guided sumo tour – like this one through Viator. It’s more expensive (considering access is otherwise free), but it might be worth it for zero hassle and advance reservation.

Plus, keep in mind you’ll be in a pretty intimate setting with barely clothed men, who don’t speak a word of English. So it might also be extremely awkward without a guide!

I didn’t see a practice because I went to a tournament instead, but here’s a full guide if you’re interested.

Continue reading if you want to go to a tournament instead.

Sumo Tournament

A honbasho (Japanese: 本場所), or Grand Sumo Tournament in English, is an official professional sumo tournament.

A sumo tournament is a 15 day event where sumo wrestlers compete to win.

There are six tournaments throughout the year (every second month starting in January) and they take place throughout Japan.

/planner

Secret Option: Streaming The Sumo Tournament Live

If you aren’t able to make it to a tournament while you’re in Japan, you can still watch it live wherever you are in the country.

You might be able to find it on TV, but you can also just watch it live here on your computer or phone.

First Timers Guide To Sumo Tournament In Japan

The Tournament Schedule

As I mentioned, there are six tournaments throughout the year, three of which are in Tokyo, but the others can be in Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka.

The schedule is released in advance for the next TWO years, making it easy to plan ahead! They also tell you when tickets go on sale…

2024 Sumo Tournament Dates

	Location	Dates	On Sale
Jan.	Tokyo	January 14 – January 28	Dec. 9 2023
March	Osaka	March 10 – March 24	Feb. 10
May	Tokyo	May 12 – May 26	April 6
July	Nagoya	July 14 – July 28	May 25
Sept.	Tokyo	Sep 8 – Sep 22	August 10
Nov.	Fukuoka	November 12 – November 26	Sept. 16

Check the schedule here to see if there’s a Grand Sumo Tournament when you’re visiting.

How Long Is A Sumo Tournament In Japan?

Sumo tournaments in Japan are 15 days long. Unlike the sumo practices, which take place in the morning, each day of the tournament is a full day event.

When you buy sumo tournament tickets, you are buying for an entire day. Each day starts around 8:30 A.M. and ends around 6:00 P.M.

A Day At A Sumo Tournament

Unlike American wrestling, sumo wrestling is not organized by weight class but by experience level.

The lower ranked wrestlers (Juryo) will compete at the beginning of the day. And the more experience wrestlers (Makuuchi) will come on later in the day, which is what you’re interested in seeing.

Typically the more experienced wrestlers come on around 2:00 P.M.

If you’re limited on time, or don’t think you can watch that much sumo in one day, you’ll want to prioritize going to the match between 2:00 and 5:00 P.M. (they close the doors at 5:00 P.M.).

The tournament will end around 6:00 P.M.

Buying Sumo Tournament Tickets In Japan

Sumo wrestling tickets are sold online here for every tournament.

Do You Need To Buy Sumo Tickets In Advance?

You should not only buy your tickets online in advance, but you should aim to book them THE DAY they go on sale.

And don’t forget to take into account the time difference in Japan!

I thought I was buying my tickets the same day they went on sale. But I was actually a day behind…

By then, box seats, the first two sections, and even some dates were already completely sold out!

We only had a choice of the last two sections in the arena.

So it was no surprise that the day of the sumo match, we saw a sign at the ticket booth that they were sold out.

How Much Does It Cost To Watch Sumo Wrestling In Japan?

The price of sumo tickets in Japan changes based on the venue, type of seat, and section.

Box tickets will be the most expensive at any arena. And the higher you are in the stadium, the cheaper the tickets will be.

There is also an additional ¥1000 charge PER ticket that’s added at checkout… I’m not sure why that isn’t just included in the ticket price at the start… so whatever price you see, expect it to be ¥1000 more.

From what I saw, the price range is between ¥ 3,000 to ¥ 30,000 (before the additional fee).

When Do Sumo Tickets Go On Sale?

Every tournament will have a specific date that tickets go on sale. It’s usually about a month before the tournament starts.

But the sumo tournament is so organized that they release the date for ticket sales two years in advance!

P.S. jump back to the sumo tournament dates here.

Box Vs. Arena Seats

The box seats are the most expensive seating option at the sumo tournament in Japan.

It’s a similar idea to the box seats you would get at a hockey or baseball game… but expect these to be Japanese style!

It’s a private “box” for two to four people. But unlike box seats that are higher up in the arena, box seats at the sumo tournament are the closest seats you can get.

And instead of seats, you’re sitting on cushions on tatami matts, without your shoes on. These are first row, private floor seats!

The arena seats are in the stands of the arena. But the arena is a lot smaller than typical sports venues you might be used to. So any arena seat you get will be good.

What Seats Are The Best At The Sumo Tournament?

This is the most interesting part about booking sumo tickets in Japan.

When you buy sumo tickets, it’s for the ENTIRE day, and you just choose a section and NOT a seat!

You’ll be automatically assigned a seat when your tickets are printed (at a 7-Eleven in Japan).

If you’re bold enough to ask the cashier, you might be able to have them change your seats.

Ask for the front side (north side) of the arena.

The front side means you’ll see both profiles of the sumo wrestlers and the front of the ceremonial aspect of the match.

How To Pick Up Sumo Tickets At 7-Eleven?

After you buy your sumo tickets online, you’ll get a confirmation number – save that number! You will need this to print your tickets in Japan.

You will NOT be sent your tickets online or by mail.

You will have to go to a 7-Eleven in Japan with the confirmation number you were sent. They will then print your tickets for you (this is when you can ask for the front side).

Apparently you can go to any 7-Eleven in Japan but we went to the on next to the arena in Tokyo. The staff knew exactly what they were doing so we didn’t even have to say anything. We just showed them the printed confirmation number and they did the rest!

Is It Worth Going To A Sumo Tournament, Even If You Aren’t Into Sports?

Yes Yes Yes! I cannot stress enough how much fun it is going to a sumo Wrestling tournament in Japan!

This was the highlight of Tokyo but also a highlight of my entire trip to Japan.

First, you don’t have to go for the entire day. You can go for as long or as little as you like.

I’m by no means a sports fan. I never played sports growing up, and don’t watch any sports on TV. I’ve gone to a few baseball and hockey games over the years for my partners sake, and that’s pretty much it.

But seeing sumo wrestling in Japan was hands down my favourite sports event I’ve ever attended, and I’d go back in a heartbeat if I could!

I think that’s because you can easily understand the rules of the game, and who wins. The match is quite quick and then you’re watching the ritual ceremonies.

To keep us a bit more entertained, my partner and I would bet on who we thought would win the match. We would judge everything from how deep they squatted, to how high their leg lift was!

In fact, a sumo tournament, or practice, is one of my fundamental things to do your first time in Japan. See my other suggestions in my post here.

Tokyo Tournament Specifics: Sumo Tournament At Kokugikan Arena

Here’s everything you need to know about actually going to a sumo tournament in Tokyo.

Where Is The Kokugikan Arena (How To Get There)

The Kokugikan Arena is in Sumida City in Tokyo. It’s made very obvious from the second you arrive that you’re in Sumo City!

There is a train station across the street from the arena (RYŌGOKU STATION – and yes, it’s a JR line for all of those with JR passes!). It’s on the Chūō-Sōbu Line (Local) yellow line.

So I would say the easiest way for most of you to get there is going to be by train.

If you’re taking the subway, you can still get there easily by taking the Oedo Line (pink!) and getting off at Ryogoku Station. This involves a bit more walking however, just because the station is at the back of the arena instead of the front.

But, the Oedo line goes all the way around Tokyo City, so it’s very convenient if you aren’t close to a JR line.

Picking Up Sumo Tickets Tokyo

There is a 7-Eleven next to the train station before you get to the Kokugikan arena.

This is the best spot to pick up your tickets for a sumo tournament in Tokyo, and I wouldn’t stress about printing them before.

I did print up my confirmation with my reservation number beforehand. So I was able to pass the clerk that piece of paper and all they had to do was print my tickets for me.

Bring A Handheld Fan… ITSs HOT In The Arena!

We went to the September Tournament in Tokyo, but it was still 35 degrees outside, which meant it was HOT in the arena.

Even if there was air conditioning, I really couldn’t tell. If it was on, it wasn’t not strong enough for the amount of body heat generated by all those people in the arena.

Our saviours were our handheld fans, that we initially bought to beat the Japanese summer heat. You can pick one up before your trip on Amazon here.

We saw a lot of people using handheld paper fans with sumo wrestlers on them (that they bought at the arena). But you’re heating yourself up just to cool yourself off with those… so it doesn’t cool you down all that much…

P.S. Are you traveling to Japan in the summer? Get ready for the heat before you go, check out my top tips for surviving the summer heat in Japan here.

Is There Anything Else In The Area?

If you don’t think you’ll be able to spend the entire day at the tournament, there isn’t that much else in the area.

There are two museums that you can check out.

There’s actually a very short museum in the Kokugikan Arena all about sumo wrestling. You can see loin cloths from past wrestlers. But, there’s also a large tablet (in English) with everything you’ve ever wanted to know about sumo wrestling.

A bit further is the Sumida Hokusai Museum featuring paintings by Katsushika Hokusai (you know that famous tidal wave painting of Japan, ya that’s his!).

I would also check out Ryōgoku Edo NOREN, where you’ll see a replica of the clay sumo arena up close!

But instead of trying to spend the day at the tournament, I would show up later in the day and spend your morning doing something else entirely in Tokyo (we went to the Pokémon cafe!).

Is There Food At The Arena?

You’re technically not allowed to bring in food or drinks into the arena, but they don’t check. We had our water bottles with us, some granola bars (that I always have with me), and even some cans of coffee that we had just bought (before we knew the rule).

There are a lot of food stalls inside the arena, but expect lines and overpriced food!! We picked up some fried chicken and cheese balls (neither were great!), and they weren’t that filling. There was also a sushi option on the other side of the arena – but it was packed!.

The food in the arena is good if you’re in a pinch, but remember, you can also always leave the arena…!

Leaving For Lunch – Sumo In Tokyo

If you’re hungry during the sumo match, I would recommend leaving the arena for lunch. Just make sure you’re back before 5:00 P.M. That’s when they close the doors!

There’s a McDonalds across the street which is far better than anything you’ll get inside the arena (and cheaper!).

There’s also a 7-Eleven with the best Onigiri. And there are even a few restaurants in Ryōgoku Edo NOREN.

You can also go around the corner from the train station, where you’ll find a ton more food options (we ate at Marugame Seimen Ryogoku).

Plan To Hang Out For Supper Afterwards

Even if you leave a bit before the tournament ends, there’s just too many people to beat the crowds.

EVERYONE is going to the train. And on top of that, the tournament ends during rush hour in Tokyo.

So instead of trying to beat the people, try to wait them out!

Hang around Sumida City for dinner and then have a much more relaxing train ride back to your hotel or other night time activities (Karaoke anyone!?).

As I already mentioned there are quite a few restaurant options here.

Need A Place To Stay In Tokyo?

We stayed at the Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza Premier. We chose it because it was slightly larger than most hotels in Tokyo, and it was the same price. It isn’t in any major neighbourhood, but it was a quick walk to either the JR line or the subway. Check it out on Booking.com.

Alternatively, if you’re looking at staying in one of the happening neighbourhoods, we had booked the Hotel Gracery in Shinjuku originally based on my cousins recommendation. You’re really in the heart of Shinjuku at this hotel. Check it out on Booking.com.

My Japan Amazon Essentials

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Last update on 2024-05-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API