How to Buy Sumo Wrestling Tickets for Tourists [2024]

When we were planning our recent trip to Japan, we decided early that we were keen to see a sumo wrestling tournament in Tokyo during our visit as a different way to experience the Japanese culture – and it certainly was a great experience which I would definitely recommend to other visitors to Japan!

You may not be aware that the sumo tournament tickets usually sell out very quickly, so booking your tickets before your visit is essential.  Read on to find out how to buy your sumo wrestling tickets in advance online and not miss out.  You can also check out our detailed review of the experience further below!

Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links.  That means that if you make a booking after clicking on a link it may mean that we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  Thank you!

How to Buy Sumo Wrestling Tickets

The 2024 sumo wrestling tournament schedule for Japan, including Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka is detailed below. Tickets sell out quickly once the official ticket sales are released, so ensure you pre-order early through our recommended providers to have the best chance of success!

Japan Sumo Wrestling Tournament Schedule for 2024 and 2025

  • 14 – 28 January 2024 in Tokyo, official ticket sales commence on 9 December 2023
  • 10 – 24 March 2024 in Osaka, official ticket sales commence on 10 February 2024
  • 12 – 26 May 2024 in Tokyo, official ticket sales commence on 6 April 2024
  • 14 – 28 July 2024 in Nagoya, official ticket sales commence on 25 May 2024
  • 8 – 22 September 2024 in Tokyo, official ticket sales commence on 10 August 2024
  • 10 – 24 November 2024 in Fukuoka, official ticket sales commence on 14 September 2024
  • 12 – 26 January 2025 in Tokyo, official ticket sales commence on 7 December 2024
  • 9 – 23 March 2025 in Osaka, official ticket sales commence on 8 February 2025
  • 11 – 25 May 2025 in Tokyo, official ticket sales commence on 5 April 2025
  • 13 – 27 July 2025 in Nagoya, official ticket sales commence on 17 May 2025
  • 14 – 28 September 2025 in Tokyo, official ticket sales commence on 9 August 2025
  • 9 – 23 November 2025 in Fukuoka, official ticket sales commence on 20 September 2025
#1 TOP PICK
Sumo Wrestling Tickets Direct Purchase through Ticket Oosumo

Sumo Wrestling Tickets Direct Purchase through Ticket Oosumo

  • Cheapest option, choose any available seat or box
  • Arrive any time you like during the full day of wrestling
  • Tickets sell out quickly, so if you miss the ticket release date they may not be available. In this case, check out the other options listed below.
  • Chair Seats from $US 17 - 65.
  • Box Seats from $US 59 - 105 per person, and can seat up to 4 people.  The box seat price is the same regardless of how many people are sitting in the box.
  • Ringside seats are $US 140. 
  • Children up to 3 years old are free.
#2 PICK
Sumo Wrestling Tournament Tickets with Licenced Guide

Sumo Wrestling Tournament Tickets with Licenced Guide

  • Choose from Tokyo or Osaka/Nagoya/Fukuoka Tournaments
  • Reserve now and pay later.  Choose from three levels of comfortable seat options
  • Choose from either 2nd floor A-Class, B-class or S-Class chair seating. 
  • A-and S-Class seat booking includes pre-tournament tour, a light snack and cheering goods.
  • Watch the top professional level sumo wrestling
  • Costs are $US 94, $US 159 or $US 173 per adult/child, children up to 3 years old are free
#3 PICK
Sumo Wrestling Tickets with Licenced Guide

Sumo Wrestling Tickets with Licenced Guide

  • Best Value for Money for an Affordable, Comfortable Seat
  • Get an introduction to Sumo Wrestling from an English Speaking licenced guide
  • Includes 2nd floor B-class chair seating
  • Watch the top professional level sumo wrestling
  • Costs are $US 91 per adult/child, children up to 3 years old are free
#4 PICK
Sumo Wrestling Reseller Tickets

Sumo Wrestling Reseller Tickets

  • Choose any available seat option
  • Quickly see smaller local sumo wrestling options which are periodically held throughout Japan
  • Many happy customers since we started promoting the viaGoGo option for sumo in 2015 with no complaints received so far
  • Pricing from $US20 - $US300
  • Note that box seats have to be purchased as a single item, and up to 4 people can sit in your box.  Pricing is per box, not per seat.

If you would like to proceed to buy your sumo wrestling tickets without reading the whole article, here are the quick links to get you started. There are three main options for purchasing your online sumo wrestling tournament tickets:

  • The official website is Ticket Oosumo – it is mostly easy to use but takes a little bit of working out, and if you miss the ticket release date, you may quickly miss out on being able to purchase tickets.  Ensure that you use the same credit or debit card to book the tickets as you plan to use while in Japan, as you need to use your card to pick up your tickets!
  • Sumo tour options for all locations are available through both Viator, Klook and Get Your Guide.
  • An alternative option, particularly if the tickets are sold out for the day you wish to attend, is to purchase reseller tickets using the viaGoGo website – Click on this link to see the latest viaGoGo sumo ticket availability and prices.  Note that purchasing tickets through ticket resellers always comes with additional risk over purchasing your tickets through a travel agency, due to the potential for fraudulent tickets.  Many of our readers choose this option to purchase their sumo tickets where tickets are otherwise unavailable, or because they can often be cheaper than the other purchasing options above.

Sumo Stable Tour

A great option when a tournament is unavailable to match your travel dates is to book a Tokyo Sumo Stable tour or other sumo experience through Viator or Klook. Options include a Sumo Stable tour and many other experiences!

Click here to check out and book your sumo stable experience in Japan through Klook or Viator

Sumo Wrestling Tournament Schedule in Japan

Sumo Wrestling tournaments are held approximately every two months and can shift between different venues across Japan.  I researched both the sumo wrestling and baseball schedules before finalising our Japan visit itinerary, to ensure that we had the best opportunity to attend both events during our Tokyo visit.

The dedicated sumo wrestling arena in Tokyo is Ryogoku Kokugikan, which is located in the north east section of Tokyo.  Other major sumo wrestling venues are located in Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka.  We were fortunate that a Grand Sumo tournament was scheduled to occur in Tokyo during our visit.

The official website to use to both see the upcoming matches and purchase your tickets is Ticket Oosumo.  If you want to learn more about the overall sumo competition and information about the competition, then the website to visit is the official Sumo website.  Both websites have English language options and are easy to use and navigate.  The Ticket Oosumo website also clearly articulates when the tickets are scheduled to go on sale for each tournament, so ensure that you note the date so you are ready to purchase your tickets on the day they are released.

Review: Our Experience attending a Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Wrestling Tournament Experience in Tokyo

The typical sumo wrestling tournament goes for 15 days.  Each day of the tournament usually commences at 8am and concludes at around 6pm.  While you can attend for the full day, the majority of spectators gradually arrive during the day.  The reason why is that the tournament commences with the junior ranks and then progresses to the more senior wrestlers, and finishes with the professional level wrestler competition.

Each wrestler only participates in a single match on each day of the tournament and progresses using a ‘round robin’ approach to wrestle with the other competitors within their division, so by the end of 15 days, they have wrestled with every other competitor.  This approach also means that often they already know who will be the winner of each division several days prior to the end of the tournament.  As a result, a great time to plan to attend is 3-4 days prior to the end of the tournament.  If you would like to learn more about the tradition of Sumo there is a great compact guide which you can download.

We decided that with three young children we did not want to attend for the full day.  As a result, we arrived by train at Ryogoku Kokugikan at around 2pm, and entered to see a few other spectators.  We had only arrived in Japan very early on the previous day and were quite tired, so it was lovely to sit and relax and watch the competition.  Of note is the fact that the tournament seating was sold out when we entered, so it is definitely worthwhile to pre-purchase your tickets to avoid disappointment…

About to Enter the Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Wrestling Arena in Tokyo
About to Enter the Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Wrestling Arena in Tokyo

The sumo areas are set up with the immediate area around the ring being Japanese style box seats, with a mostly flat or shallow graduation of the floor height.  Behind this area are more conventional seating options with a steeper rise so that every seat can see the action.  We had purchased western style ‘Chair Seat’ tickets which were quite comfortable and at an affordable price.  We were close enough to see the action easily, and with few people around, we were also able to explore the arena.

Inside the Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Wrestling Arena in Tokyo When We First Arrived - Mostly Empty!
Inside the Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Wrestling Arena in Tokyo When We First Arrived – Mostly Empty!

While the ‘Japanese Box Seat’ style seating was closer to the arena (and a lot more expensive), I don’t think I would have been able to sit on the floor on a thin cushion for over four hours.  If you think you can cope, go right ahead – but be wary of purchasing the inner ring tickets; we saw several bouts where the wrestlers landed on the spectators!

The professional division (Makuuchi) starts at around 4.15pm, and we saw a definite surge of spectators in the period leading up to this time.  The arena environment went from mostly empty to mostly full, which really changed the dynamics of the crowd to be quite exciting!

Inside the Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Wrestling Arena in Tokyo During the professional Level Bouts - Mostly Full!
Inside the Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Wrestling Arena in Tokyo During the professional level bouts – Mostly Full!

Overall we had a great experience which I would definitely recommend to other visitors to Japan.

Sumo Throwdown!
Sumo Throwdown!
Sumo Second Throwdown!
Sumo Second Throwdown!

How to Buy Sumo Wrestling Tournament Tickets using the Ticket Oosumo Website

When we first looked at the Ticket Oosumo website the tickets for our preferred event were not yet on sale.  The main page shows all of the upcoming sumo wrestling tournaments, with clear information on the tournament dates and the dates that the tickets will go on sale, approximately two months before each tournament.  If tickets are open to be purchased for a tournament, then extra buttons appear which enable you to click through to purchase your tickets.

I suggest that you first click the ‘View Available Seats’ button to see what is still available.  In the below image you can see that the majority of the arena has already sold out for the full tournament (if you are too late Plan C will be described shortly).

To see a description of each kind of seat and associated pricing, go back to the home page and then click on ‘Detailed Ticket Information’.  The next page shows a summary of the extra costs to purchase a ticket, and at the bottom is a detailed description of each type of seat and the associated price.  Before you proceed with your booking, check whether your preferred seat type is available.

Ensure that you use the same credit or debit card to book the tickets as you plan to use while in Japan, as you need to use your card to pick up your tickets!

When you have confirmed your order, you will receive a confirmation email.  Note that you do not select your specific seats – you only purchase a type of ticket, and they will issue you the specific seats when you pick up your tickets at the venue.  From our experience, the process worked smoothly, and we promptly received our confirmation email.

When you arrive at the arena, there are automatic machines that you will use to obtain your Ticket Oosumo tickets.  You need to ensure that you have a copy of your confirmation email, you need the debit or credit card you used to make your booking, and your passport or photo identification.

We found that the process to obtain our tickets was very easy, and we were quickly able to enter the arena.  You can obtain an arena guide at the entrance with an English language map to help you find your seats.  If you want to look at the arena guide in advance here is the link.

As you will see, many food and drink options are also shown on the map as well as the timetable of events.  You should also receive a sheet which details the current status of the tournament competitors and shows who has won and lost their matches so far.

How to Book Your Sumo Wrestling Tournament Tickets

For tickets to the six sumo wrestling tournaments held across Japan each year, check out the easy options below to book your tickets.

#1 TOP PICK
Sumo Wrestling Tickets Direct Purchase through Ticket Oosumo

Sumo Wrestling Tickets Direct Purchase through Ticket Oosumo

  • Cheapest option, choose any available seat or box
  • Arrive any time you like during the full day of wrestling
  • Tickets sell out quickly, so if you miss the ticket release date they may not be available. In this case, check out the other options listed below.
  • Chair Seats from $US 17 - 65.
  • Box Seats from $US 59 - 105 per person, and can seat up to 4 people.  The box seat price is the same regardless of how many people are sitting in the box.
  • Ringside seats are $US 140. 
  • Children up to 3 years old are free.
#2 PICK
Sumo Wrestling Tournament Tickets with Licenced Guide

Sumo Wrestling Tournament Tickets with Licenced Guide

  • Choose from Tokyo or Osaka/Nagoya/Fukuoka Tournaments
  • Reserve now and pay later.  Choose from three levels of comfortable seat options
  • Choose from either 2nd floor A-Class, B-class or S-Class chair seating. 
  • A-and S-Class seat booking includes pre-tournament tour, a light snack and cheering goods.
  • Watch the top professional level sumo wrestling
  • Costs are $US 94, $US 159 or $US 173 per adult/child, children up to 3 years old are free
#3 PICK
Sumo Wrestling Tickets with Licenced Guide

Sumo Wrestling Tickets with Licenced Guide

  • Best Value for Money for an Affordable, Comfortable Seat
  • Get an introduction to Sumo Wrestling from an English Speaking licenced guide
  • Includes 2nd floor B-class chair seating
  • Watch the top professional level sumo wrestling
  • Costs are $US 91 per adult/child, children up to 3 years old are free
#4 PICK
Sumo Wrestling Reseller Tickets

Sumo Wrestling Reseller Tickets

  • Choose any available seat option
  • Quickly see smaller local sumo wrestling options which are periodically held throughout Japan
  • Many happy customers since we started promoting the viaGoGo option for sumo in 2015 with no complaints received so far
  • Pricing from $US20 - $US300
  • Note that box seats have to be purchased as a single item, and up to 4 people can sit in your box.  Pricing is per box, not per seat.

We really enjoyed seeing the sumo wrestling tournament in a full stadium when we visited.  We also visited a Japanese Baseball match which was a very different and very exciting event to attend, so if you are interested, please check out our article to see how to purchase your Japanese baseball tickets.

You may also like:

Join the Japan Travel Planning Facebook Group

Japan Travel Planning Facebook Group

Disclaimer:  This article contains affiliate links.  If you book after clicking on one of these links then we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

32 thoughts on “How to Buy Sumo Wrestling Tickets for Tourists [2024]”

  1. I feel like Sumo Wrestling is one of those stereotypes that you then find out is actually real!! How fun would it be to experience this first hand!?

  2. I’m like you. I think I would opt for the chairs instead of sitting on a mat next to the ring. I am not as quick as I used to be and would hate to have to fight for seating space with a sumo wrestler being thrown.

    • Bob, I totally agree with you. For people who are not used to sitting on the floor the flat cushions close to the rink would be a real issue, plus the risk of being hit by an airborne (big) sumo wrestler (plus they are a LOT more expensive), meant that we opted for the western style seating!

  3. Sumo would be amazing to see. One of the only sports in the world were the overweight guys are idolized instead of looked down on. I like what a great sport and something i would love to see if i was in japan

  4. It’s important to preserve the national sport and culture and I am glad there’s a great turnout of the event. For me, I am more interested in watching baseball match 😛 @ knycx.journeying

    • Kenny, yes it is great to see the local culture. We also went to a local baseball match and had a great time – the vibe is totally different, but they were both great experiences in different ways.

  5. Japan is my dream. The more I read about it, the more eager I am to travel there. Thanks for sharing the post, it’s super useful.

    Happy travels,
    Cristina

  6. It was fun reading about the sumo wrestling. One thing I loved so much was referee’s dress 🙂 I loved the way you have arranged your article.

  7. Hi, Anne. I liked how you outlined all details and patiently described every step. It’s good to know how to deal with this kind of issues in a different country. It’s great to know that tickets could be booked through ViaGoGo. I had many problems with buying tickets, passes, etc. online in foreign countries. In most cases, I could not even complete transaction. Colombia’s websites were accepting only Colombian credit cards, in Georgia, there was no English option, and in Portugal, it was impossible to complete the transaction unless your billing address matched the shipping one. Too bad that services like ViaGoGo are not widely available throughout the world yet.

  8. I never thought about watching sumo wrestling until reading this. It is an interesting sport (?). Its quite funny to think that this practice still exist! Quite an experience for you!

  9. This is a great guide! Will be referring to this when I head back to Japan, and sharing with my friends. This will definitely help us pay less and not unintentionally go for the ‘premium’ prices!

  10. Wow this sounds like an amazing experience – I had no idea you could actually go and see Sumo Wrestling take place. I would love to see this. I have some friends going to Japan soon so will have to show them your tips on this page!

  11. Hello. Thank you for the very helpful summary. My husband and i are planning to go to Fukuoka for the November tournament.
    I have one question. The Ticket Oosumo website says ”This service is only in Japanese”. However, the screen shots you have above show an English page. How were you able to use the Ticket Oosumo site in English?

  12. Hello, I will be visiting Japan in Sep 2018. I plan to get tickets for the Sumo Wrestling Tournament, but not sure about who to purchase them from, or should I take a chance and try to get them myself online in August 4th. I made myself a note to purchase Aug 3rd, because of the time difference. How much were the tickets? and how much is the mark up from the broker for example Voygin?

    • Jean, Thank you for your question. You can definitely try to get tickets on the day they are released, however recent experience from the Japan Travel Planning Facebook Group members is that it can be challenging. The tickets usually sell out on the first day they are on sale, particularly for sumo tournaments in Tokyo.

      For the May tournament click on this link to see the cost per western style chair seat (look at it in Chrome and then translate to English) – 3800 yen to 8500 Yen for Chairs A, B and C (A is closest, with C furthest away from the arena. You can use this to compare with the price for Voyagin and ViaGoGo which you can find in the links in my article to decide which option you would prefer to pursue.

      If you have not already discovered it I suggest you may be interested to join the Japan Travel Planning Facebook Group and also sign up to my email list – links below
      https://www.facebook.com/groups/JapanTravelPlanning/ (Facebook Group)
      https://annesutherland-smith.activehosted.com/f/1 (Email list signup)

  13. I almost bought tickets for he sumo tournament for 23rd September 2019, but looking up the schedule elsewhere it says it finishes on the 22nd Sept!!!!
    Is there anywhere I can find a schedule this far out from the tournament?
    I do like to plan ahead a bit.

    • I have just double checked the official site and the dates in my article are correct – the tournament finishes on 22 September 2019. I am nto sure which site you tried to book through so please let me know so I can follow up.

      For interest, you may wish to plan to attend before the final day, as usually by about 3-4 days prior to the end of the tournament they already know who will be the winner

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