January 2027 Grand Sumo Tournament (Hatsu Basho)

Dates are from the Japan Sumo Association’s annual schedule. Check the official site for ticket availability and same-day tickets.

• Ringside seats (tamari-seki)

  The front-row seats right below the ring, where each person sits on their own floor cushion. Because wrestlers can come flying off the ring, these seats are limited to ages 16 and up, and eating, drinking, taking photos and using mobile phones are not allowed.

• Box seats (masu-seki)

  Traditional seating where you sit on cushions in a square section of floor divided by metal pipes. Each box (1 masu) is shared by several people (4 people, according to the English information), and boxes are graded S, A, B, C and so on from front to back.

• Chair seats (isu-seki)

  Stadium-style chairs, located on the 2nd floor at Ryogoku Kokugikan. They are graded S, A, B, C and so on from the front, and since you can buy them for just 1 person at a time, they work well for travelers in small groups.

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Places introduced on official sites of the Japan Sumo Association, local governments and tourism bodies.

• Sumo Museum

  📍 Sumida, Tokyo

  The Japan Sumo Association's museum on the 1st floor of Ryogoku Kokugikan, with rotating themed exhibitions of historical sumo materials such as woodblock prints (nishiki-e) and ornate ceremonial aprons (kesho-mawashi). Admission is free on weekdays when no tournament is being held.

  💡 During a tournament, only visitors with a ticket for that day's sumo can enter, so drop in while you're there to watch.

  🗺 View on mapOfficial site ↗Introduced on ↗

• Ryogoku neighborhood

  📍 Sumida, Tokyo

  A "sumo town" centered on the Kokugikan, full of sumo stables (heya) and chanko nabe (sumo hot pot) restaurants. You may even spot wrestlers in yukata walking around the streets.

  💡 You can watch a sumo stable's morning practice by joining a guided tour.

  🗺 View on mapIntroduced on ↗

• Wrestler statues and handprints on Kokugikan-dori

  📍 Sumida, Tokyo

  Along Kokugikan-dori, the street near Ryogoku Station, you'll find statues of wrestlers performing the ring-entering ceremony and handprints of past yokozuna. You can compare the size of your hand with theirs.

  💡 Striking a ring-entering pose for a souvenir photo is a classic.

  🗺 View on mapIntroduced on ↗

• -Ryogoku- Edo NOREN

  📍 Sumida, Tokyo

  A dining complex in the former Ryogoku Station building from the early Showa era. In the center is a sumo ring supervised by the Japan Sumo Association, surrounded by Japanese restaurants. On weekends there are events where you can grapple with former wrestlers.

  💡 The tourist information center inside is a good place to pick up information on Ryogoku, including chanko nabe restaurants.

  🗺 View on mapOfficial site ↗Introduced on ↗

• Ekoin Temple

  📍 Sumida, Tokyo

  A temple where sumo tournaments were held from the Edo period until the end of the Meiji era; the first Kokugikan was also built on its grounds. It is home to the Chikara-zuka, a memorial erected by the Sumo Association.

  💡 It's a short walk from the West Exit of Ryogoku Station, so you can visit it together with the Kokugikan.

  🗺 View on mapOfficial site ↗Introduced on ↗

• Nomi no Sukune Shrine

  📍 Sumida, Tokyo

  A shrine dedicated to Nomi no Sukune, the god of sumo, with a monument on its grounds engraved with the names of past yokozuna. Before each Tokyo tournament, an annual festival is held here, attended by senior officials of the Sumo Association.

  💡 The quickest way there is from Exit A4 of Ryogoku Station on the Toei Oedo Line.

  🗺 View on mapIntroduced on ↗

• Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine

  📍 Koto, Tokyo

  Known as "Fukagawa no Hachiman-sama," this is the largest Hachiman shrine in Edo-era Tokyo. On its grounds stands the Yokozuna Monument, engraved with the names of past yokozuna.

  💡 It's a short walk from Monzen-nakacho Station. It's a bit far from Ryogoku, so we recommend fitting it into a different day of sightseeing.

  🗺 View on mapOfficial site ↗Introduced on ↗

Dates, venues and directions are based on official information from the Japan Sumo Association, the venues, railway companies and local governments. Check each official site for the latest details.