Ryōgoku Kokugikan

両国国技館 / Sumo

The largest sumo arena in Japan with a capacity for 10,000 spectators, this is where grand tournaments or basho are held in January, May and September, starting on the second Sunday of the month. These tournaments last for 15 days, and are filled with ceremony and ritual which observe strict hierarchies not just for the wrestlers, but also for the referees and callers. The competition each day begins around 09:00 with the amateurs, and from there, wrestlers compete in progressing order of seniority. The professional wrestlers start around 14:35, but the excitement begins when the top division makuuchi (幕内) enter the ring in the dohyō-iri (土俵入り) ceremony at 15:50. The tournament culminates when the high-rank yokozuna (横綱) and ozeki (大関) have their bouts, around 18:00. If you have seats far from the ring, but arrive early, it is possible to borrow some seats close to the ring until mid-afternoon, when most spectators begin to arrive. English pamphlets describing the day's program and sumo in general are available, and radios with live English commentary can be rented. Food is available inside, at somewhat inflated prices. There are now signs prohibiting you from bringing in outside food and drink, but enforcement is spotty.

Address

1-3-28 Yokoami

Price

Advance-booking Western-style chairs on the second floor are ¥3,600, ¥4,900 and ¥8,400; Japanese-style box seats on the first floor are ¥9,200, ¥10,300 and ¥11,300. These can be purchased at ticket outlets and convenience stores, starting the month before the match. The Japan Sumo Association has an official English website handling online ticket sales. You can also buy sumo tickets by reserving through specialized third-party online ticket sellers, which charge higher markups; while there are generally no issues, the Sumo Association discourages purchases from these sites. In the past, unsold seats have been sold on the day of the tournament, but in the mid-2020s this has not been the case as all seats usually sell out soon after tickets go on sale

Website

sumo.or.jp (opens in a new tab)