National Sumo Stadium

Sumo is the well-known and deeply traditional sport that has in recent years become dominated by foreigners at the top levels. A Japanese born fighter has only just this last few years obtained the top Yokozuma title from a long list of Mongolian fighters (although he retired in 2019 due to injury). The style and traditions of Sumo have been kept relatively intact since the pre-war era and the national stadium retains that atmosphere to this date, making it a highly recommended afternoon to spend while in Tokyo.

Sumo is certainly a unique experience when seen live, as the atmosphere of the Tokyo stadium remains authentic to traditional Japan. You buy a ticket for the whole day however you can turn up whenever you like, and leave and come back if you want. The last days of the tournament are usually booked out quickly however unless you are a follower of the sport, you shouldn’t worry about it. Instead, pick a day that fits in with your schedule during one of the two-week Tokyo tournaments, and arrive at the stadium once the top-ranked players start competing, which is about 4pm to 6pm. Before that, the lower ranked fighters battle it out from about 12pm, so you can skip that and instead tour the Edo Tokyo Museum, which is right next door. Most spectators don’t arrive until after 3pm anyway.

How to purchase tickets

The official purchase site is here (other sites exist but they aren’t official). There are three Tokyo tournaments each year, and one at Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka. Total of six tournaments per year, each one lasting two weeks. The seats are usually sold out by the start of the tournament, so you will need to book in advance. “When Japan” can only speak about the Tokyo Stadium, which is quite large. The official site has seat plans, which are shown below for reference.

The ringside seats are pretty expensive at ￥14,800 per person. However, there is little chance of foreigners buying these because tickets are pre-sold (via a lottery only on the Japanese website) two months before the tournament starts. Open sales start one month before and that is the only option you get in English. You’ll have no problem getting the Arena seats for the earlier days (first week) however the final day, when the champion is likely to be decided and the winners ceremony occurs, will be sold out before the English website even starts selling tickets.

If you are not going to go for a 1st floor seat (where you have to sit cross legged on the floor in a box of 4 people – can you do that for 2 hours?) then the Arena Seat A is the best bet. It is actually a fairly good view and the atmosphere of the entire stadium can be taken in.

If you do go for a Seat Box, the family box (4-6 people) offer is the best value for money. You just need at least 1 adult and 1 child under 15 in the group to qualify. It is much cheaper than a regular box for the same number of people. You will have to sit on a cushion for 2 hours but you can bring in food and drink (traditional is a Bento box) and make it into a bit of a party.