All grand-tournament tickets are sold through Ticket Oosumo (sumo.pia.jp/en), the Japan Sumo Association's ticketing partner. Tickets for each basho go on sale roughly five weeks before Day 1 — for the September 2026 tournament, general sale opened on 8 August. The JSA's ticket page lists the exact sale date for each tournament.
Three practical points that catch people out:
Official prices for the 2026 Tokyo tournaments (they vary slightly by venue and day — confirm the current basho's chart on Ticket Oosumo):
| Seat | What it is | Price (per person) | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tamari (ringside) | Floor cushions at the ring's edge | ~¥20,000 | Age 16+; no phones, cameras, food or drink. Wrestlers occasionally land in them. |
| Box S–A (masu-seki) | 4-person tatami boxes on the arena floor | ¥12,000–15,000 | Sold as a whole box — two people still pay for four seats. Shoes off, cross-legged. |
| Box B–C | Same, further back | ¥8,500–10,500 | The classic sumo experience at the friendlier end of the price. |
| Chair S–A | Stadium chairs, upper tier | ¥8,000–9,500 | Best comfort-to-view ratio for a full day. |
| Chair B–C | Upper tier, higher rows | ¥3,500–5,500 | The budget way into the building — the atmosphere carries. |
| Same-day general | Unreserved, limited daily allocation | ~¥2,200 | Queue early at the venue; not guaranteed. |
Two honest options. First, try a weekday — availability lingers there weeks after the weekends are gone. Second, guided tournament visits hold their own seat allocations and bundle an English-speaking guide who explains the ceremonies and matchups; they cost more than face value, and that premium is what you pay for a seat that still exists plus context you would otherwise miss. Avoid unofficial resale — marked-up tickets have been refused at the door.
Small-group visit to the current grand tournament — reserved seating with an English-speaking guide. The calendar below is live from GetYourGuide; Hakkeyoi may earn a commission on bookings (your price is unchanged).
From about ¥2,200 for same-day unreserved seats to ~¥20,000 for ringside. Most visitors pay ¥3,500–9,500 for a chair seat or ¥8,500–15,000 per person for a shared box.
Roughly five weeks before each tournament's opening Sunday, on Ticket Oosumo. The six basho run in January, March, May, July, September and November — the live dashboard always shows the next one and its dates.
A limited batch of same-day general-admission tickets is sold at the venue. It means an early queue and no guarantee — workable on a weekday, a long shot on weekends.
Boxes are the traditional experience and closer to the ring, but you sit cross-legged on cushions for hours and buy the whole 4-person box. Chairs are further up and far more comfortable. First visit, full day: chairs. Short visit for the atmosphere: box.