January 2027 Sumo Tournament in Tokyo: Dates, Ticket Sale and Prices

The January 2027 Grand Sumo Tournament (Hatsu Basho) runs for 15 days, Sunday January 10 to Sunday January 24, 2027, at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo. General sale opens on Saturday December 5, 2026 on Ticket Oosumo, the Japan Sumo Association’s official ticket site, and recent sales have opened at 10:00 a.m. Japan time. New Tokyo prices apply from this tournament: ¥3,000 for a back-row chair up to ¥30,000 for ringside on the last two days, and the English site adds a service fee per ticket. Weekends and the final days usually sell out on the morning of the sale, so have an account, a card and two backup dates ready before December 5.

Dates and prices checked against the Japan Sumo Association’s 2027 schedule and its price list (updated October 1, 2026) on October 20, 2026. We will check again after the Kyushu tournament ends on November 22, on sale day, and when the rankings come out on December 21.

Guided tournament seats for January are scarce: the one GetYourGuide listing we found with January 2027 dates has only three reviews so far. If you would rather book a sumo experience now, the sumo show in Shinjuku runs year-round. Our page on the Shinjuku sumo show covers how it runs, and the calendar below shows its next dates.

January 2027 sumo at a glance

Other sumo experiences in Tokyo

If the January dates do not fit your trip, or you want more sumo than one afternoon at the Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo has bookable options all year: sumo shows with chanko nabe in Shinjuku and Asakusa, morning practice visits at a Ryogoku stable, and hands-on sumo lessons where you step into a ring yourself. The options below are bookable for dates around your trip.

When do January 2027 sumo tickets go on sale?

General sale opens on Saturday December 5, 2026, and the start time is expected to be 10:00 a.m. Japan Standard Time. The JSA’s official schedule lists December 5 as the advance-sale date for the January tournament. It has not printed a start time for this sale yet. The January 2026 sale (December 6, 2025), the September 2026 sale (August 8) and the November 2026 sale (September 19) all opened at 10:00 JST, so plan for 10:00 and check again in the week before.

General sale is the last of five sale stages:

1. Official fan club first-round lottery (paid Yokozuna, Ozeki and Sekiwake tiers)
2. Fan club second-round lottery (adds the Komusubi and Makuuchi tiers; Makuuchi costs ¥550 a month)
3. Ticket Oosumo lottery (Japanese site)
4. Ticket Pia lottery
5. General sale, first come, first served: Ticket Oosumo (Japanese and English), Ticket Pia, Seven-Eleven terminals and phone

The fan club is open only to people living in Japan. The JSA warns that seat types which sell out in stages 1 to 4 are not offered at general sale at all. The 2027 lottery dates have not been published yet. For comparison, the January 2026 lotteries ran from November 14 to December 3, 2025, and the general sale followed on December 6. Group bookings (20 or more people) for January 2027 were taken by lottery from September 28, 2026, which is one reason fewer seats reach the public on sale day.

How to buy on December 5: step by step

Before sale day (do this in November):

1. Create your Ticket Oosumo account at sumo.pia.jp/en well before sale day, not at 9:55 a.m. on December 5. Some guides report that web purchases need phone-number verification, so test your login and any SMS step in advance.
2. Check your credit card. The English site takes credit cards only and charges in yen. Tell your bank to expect an overseas charge.
3. Pick a first-choice day and two backups (see the day guide below).
4. Pick a first-choice seat and one fallback, for example Masu C first and Chair B as the fallback.
5. Set an alarm in your own time zone:

On sale morning:

6. Log in 10 to 15 minutes early on a stable connection (wired or strong Wi-Fi). Use one device and one tab.
7. At 10:00, choose the date, then the seat type, then the number of tickets. If your first date shows sold out, move straight to your backup instead of refreshing a sold-out date.
8. Pay by card. Purchases are final: the English site says tickets “cannot be changed or cancelled for whatever reason.”
9. Save the confirmation email and the pickup number. Tickets bought on the English site can only be printed at a Seven-Eleven in Japan. Print them at any Seven-Eleven multi-copy machine after you land and keep them safe, because the English ticket page warns that you can’t get in without your ticket.

Japanese site or English site. The Japanese Ticket Oosumo site offers QR (smartphone) tickets and sells seats the English site does not. On the 2026 English pages, ringside and Masu S were marked “Only Ticket Oosumo (JPN)”. If you can read Japanese, or have a friend in Japan, the Japanese site gives you more seat types and skips the English-site fee, though it has smaller charges of its own. Screenshots or printouts of a QR ticket are not valid at the gate; you must show the live ticket in the app.

For the general buying rules that apply to every tournament, from seat sections to collection, see our sumo tickets guide.

New 2027 ticket prices at Ryogoku Kokugikan

On July 30, 2026, the JSA announced higher Tokyo and Osaka prices from the January 2027 tournament onward, citing rising costs and better pay and conditions for wrestlers and other association members. Nagoya and Fukuoka keep their current prices. The list below is the JSA’s own, updated October 1, 2026. Prices are per person and include tax; the last column shows the 2026 Tokyo price (weekday / weekend).

The fine print:

• Masu (box) seats are sold as a whole box. The list shows per-person prices, but you pay for every cushion in the box, usually four.
• Add the English-site fee to every ticket: ¥2,000 per ticket in 2026, which is ¥8,000 extra on a four-person box. Check the figure at checkout.
• Anyone aged 4 or over needs their own ticket. The 2027 list also has kids’ seats at a flat price (Kids Masu B ¥9,000, Kids Masu C ¥7,500 and Kids Chair B ¥5,000 per person), and the JSA announces special family tickets tournament by tournament.
• Chair D may not appear on the English site. In September 2026 it was “online only, QR ticket only”, which in practice means the Japanese site.
• The JSA’s tournament page for January 2027 is not live yet. Check the prices there when it opens.

What a group pays on the English site, with the 2026 fee of ¥2,000 per ticket:

Which seat to choose

For most first-timers, Chair A or Chair B on the second floor. You get a real chair with a backrest and a clear view of the whole ring and both entrance walkways, and you buy only the seats you need. At ¥6,000 to ¥11,000 they cost less than a box for two people and are comfortable for four hours.

On a budget, Chair C (¥5,000 on a weekday). It is high up, but the Kokugikan is a compact bowl built for sumo, so you still see every bout and the ritual clearly. Bring or rent binoculars.

For a group of four, Masu B or Masu A. Sitting shoeless on cushions with a bento and a beer is the classic Kokugikan afternoon. Think about your knees first: a box is about 1.3 m square for four adults, and four hours cross-legged is hard on tall or stiff visitors.

For a once-in-a-lifetime seat, Tamari (ringside, ¥25,000 to ¥30,000). You sit close enough that wrestlers sometimes land in the front rows. The rules are strict: age 16 and over only, no eating or drinking, no photos and no phone use. The English site may not sell it, and it often sells out in the fan-club lotteries.

Couples usually do better with two Chair A seats than a whole box. Solo travellers can buy a single chair, so never buy a box for one.

For what each section of the hall looks like, see our Ryogoku Kokugikan guide.

Which day to choose

Aim for a weekday in the second week, January 18 to 22. You pay the weekday price, and by then the championship race (yusho arasoi) is usually down to a handful of wrestlers.

What if January 2027 is sold out?

Plan as if it will be. According to EDO KAGURA, a Tokyo tour company that monitored availability on sale day, the September 2026 Tokyo tournament’s general sale “opened at 10:00 a.m. on August 8 and sold out the same day,” with all 15 days gone, and the November 2026 Kyushu tournament also sold out on its first sale day, September 19. Your legitimate options, in the order we would try them:

1. Official face-value resale (定価リセール) on Ticket Oosumo. Listings open on the Monday after general sale, which should be Monday December 7, 2026. Sellers can list until 23:59 three days before the bout day for QR tickets, or the day before for unprinted tickets. You pay face value plus the fees the seller originally paid. The site is in Japanese only. Check once or twice a day, because returns appear regularly.
2. A guided tournament tour with a seat already secured. These cost more than a direct ticket, but the seat is in hand and an English-speaking guide explains what is happening.
   • On GetYourGuide, Tokyo Grand Sumo Tournament Tour with Local Guide Tickets (from about US$630, 4.7/5 from 3 reviews) has bookable dates for every day from January 10 to 24, 2027. It includes a chair seat and a guide’s briefing, and you can cancel up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund. With three reviews it is a new listing, so read them before you book. Our tour vs ticket cost for 2027 compares it with the other guided tours.
   • JTB Sunrise Tours runs the long-standing “Tokyo Grand Sumo Tournament Viewing Tour with Tickets” with second-floor chair seats, sold through Viator. Klook’s Grand Sumo Tournament Tokyo listing showed as sold out when we checked, and KKday had no January 2027 listings yet.
   • EDO KAGURA, a Tokyo operator, has secured official Chair C seats for January 12, 2027 through the JSA’s group channel, with a cap of 18 guests.
3. Same-day tickets are usually not an option. When a day sells out in advance, the box office sells nothing on the day, and the old unreserved day tickets (jiyu-seki) no longer exist as a reliable route.
4. Other sumo in Tokyo that month (see the events section below): a free yokozuna ring-entry at Meiji Jingu, Endo’s retirement ceremony on January 30, morning practice at a stable, or a sumo show with dinner.

For every route in more detail, including the resale steps and the fan-club rules, see our page on what to do when sumo tickets sell out.

How to avoid sumo ticket scams

The JSA’s English notice “Be careful of ticket resale sites!” names viagogo, BuySumoTickets, StubHub, ticketstreet, Ticket Ryutsu Center, Yahoo Auctions and Mercari, and states that “Tickets purchased via unofficial sites will be refused entry.” Its Japanese notice adds TicketJam. Across the six 2025 tournaments, the JSA reported 138 actions against illicit resale, including invalidated tickets and suspended accounts. The problems it hears about most often:

• Tickets that never arrive
• Tickets for the wrong date
• A “four-person box” that turns out to be a single seat, so you share the box with strangers

Reselling for profit breaks the JSA’s spectator terms. Passing a ticket to a friend or family member at face value is allowed. Buy only from Ticket Oosumo, Ticket Pia, Seven-Eleven terminals, a sumo teahouse (annaijo), or a tour operator that sells a ticket together with a guided service. BuySumoTickets itself says it is not accepting orders for January 2027 “because of low ticket availability.”

Your day at the Kokugikan: timeline and tips

These are the JSA’s approximate times. The JSA’s English 2026 page gives 8:45 for doors on most days, and the hall opens later on the final days, so check the time printed on your ticket.

• When to arrive: around 14:00. That gives you time to find your seat, buy food and see both ring-entering ceremonies.
• Re-entry: the 2026 Tokyo ticket terms allow one re-entry only, and you must be back by 17:00.
• Food and drink: you can eat and drink in box and chair seats but not in Tamari. Try the Kokugikan’s own chanko stew and the yakitori made in its basement.
• English commentary: the JSA’s English arena guide says “You can rent a radio to listen to English language commentary on the sumo bouts: FM78.3MHz, 16:00-18:00” for ¥100, and notes that the broadcast time is “subject to change and discontinuation.” Ask at the information desk.
• Sumo Museum: on tournament days it is open to ticket holders only, usually 12:30 to 16:00.
• What to wear in January: Tokyo January days are cold and dry. Dress in layers, as the hall is heated. Wear socks without holes if you are in a box, because you take your shoes off.
• Watch on TV too: NHK broadcasts the top division every afternoon, with an English commentary channel.

Our guide to what to expect at a sumo tournament covers the day hour by hour, with etiquette.

Wrestlers to watch in January 2027

Storylines as of October 20, 2026. The Kyushu tournament (November 8–22, 2026) will change them, and we will update this section on November 22 and again when the banzuke comes out on December 21.

• Yokozuna Onosato won the September 2026 tournament 12-3, beating Aonishiki in a final-day showdown for his sixth Emperor’s Cup. The 75th yokozuna is the man to beat.
• Yokozuna Hoshoryu had right-knee ligament surgery on July 29, 2026, missed the whole September tournament, and rejoined the autumn regional tour in October saying his recovery is on track. He is aiming to return in Kyushu. He has not yet won a title as yokozuna, so January could decide a lot for him.
• Ozeki Aonishiki (Ukraine) won in January 2026 and July 2026 and finished 11-4 as runner-up in September. After September, JSA judging director Asakayama (former ozeki Kaio) told Nikkan Sports that 11 wins would “likely be quite tough” to count towards promotion, which cooled talk of a bid in Kyushu. A yokozuna promotion before January is possible but unlikely and depends on his Kyushu result. If it happens, he would be the 76th yokozuna and the first from Europe, and January would be his first tournament at the top rank.
• Also look out for Kirishima, Kotozakura and Atamifuji.

Getting to Ryogoku Kokugikan

• JR Sobu Line to Ryogoku Station: about 2 minutes on foot from the west exit. You can see the arena from the platform.
• Toei Oedo Line to Ryogoku Station: about 5 minutes on foot.
• There is no parking, so take the train.

Nearby sumo events in January 2027

• Yokozuna ring-entry at Meiji Jingu (free): a New Year tradition held a few days before opening day. In 2026 it took place on January 6 and drew about 2,000 spectators, the first time in six years that two yokozuna performed it together. The 2027 date has not been announced; our Meiji Jingu yokozuna ceremony guide has the expected timing.
• Endo’s retirement ceremony (danpatsu-shiki), Saturday January 30, 2027, at the Kokugikan: doors at 10:00, bouts from 11:30, ending around 16:00, according to the official event site. The popular former komusubi has his topknot cut. Tickets are sold separately from the tournament.
• NHK charity sumo (early February): the 2027 date is not confirmed yet.
• Morning practice at a stable (asageiko): held on non-tournament mornings. Our morning practice page explains how visits work; the Tokyo: Sumo Watching with journalist and walks (from $101, 4.9/5 from 308 reviews) tour includes a practice session and a walk through Ryogoku.

FAQ

When is the January 2027 sumo tournament?

January 10 to 24, 2027 (Sunday to Sunday, 15 days) at Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo.

When do tickets for the January 2027 sumo tournament go on sale?

Saturday December 5, 2026. The start time has not been published, but the recent sales opened at 10:00 a.m. Japan time.

Where do I buy official tickets in English?

On Ticket Oosumo English (sumo.pia.jp/en), the JSA’s authorized site. It takes credit cards only and charged a ¥2,000 fee per ticket in 2026.

How much are sumo tickets in 2027?

In Tokyo, from ¥3,000 (Chair D) to ¥30,000 (ringside on days 14 and 15), per person. Box seats are sold by the whole box, so a four-person Masu C box costs ¥38,000 on a weekday.

Why did sumo ticket prices go up?

On July 30, 2026, the JSA announced higher Tokyo and Osaka prices from January 2027, citing rising costs and better pay and conditions for wrestlers.

Will the January tournament sell out?

Almost certainly for weekends, the holiday and the last two days. EDO KAGURA, which monitored the sales, reports that September 2026 Tokyo and November 2026 Kyushu each sold out on the day general sale opened.

Can I buy tickets at the door?

Only if seats are left over. If a day sells out in advance, there are no same-day sales.

Is there an official resale?

Yes. Ticket Oosumo runs a face-value resale from the Monday after general sale, in Japanese only.

Are viagogo or StubHub sumo tickets valid?

They can be refused. The JSA names viagogo, StubHub, BuySumoTickets and others, and says tickets from unofficial sites will be refused entry.

Do children need tickets?

Yes, everyone aged 4 and over needs a ticket. Ringside seats are for ages 16 and over only. The 2027 list has a Chair D child price of ¥500 on weekdays and ¥1,000 at weekends, plus kids’ box and chair seats. Our guide to sumo for kids in Tokyo covers seats, the baby room and the best shows by age.

How do I collect English-site tickets?

Print them at any Seven-Eleven in Japan using the number in your confirmation email.

What time should I arrive?

Around 14:00, which gets you both ring-entering ceremonies and every top-division bout. The day ends around 18:00.

Can I leave and come back?

Once only, and you must return by 17:00 (2026 Tokyo terms).

Will Aonishiki be a yokozuna by January?

That depends on his result in the November Kyushu tournament (November 8–22). After the September tournament, JSA officials signalled that his 11-4 runner-up finish was not enough on its own.

What else is on in Tokyo for sumo fans in January 2027?

The free yokozuna ring-entry at Meiji Jingu (date to be announced), Endo’s retirement ceremony on January 30, and stable morning practice.

How we checked this guide

Dates, the sale date and the banzuke date come from the JSA’s 2027 tournament schedule. Prices come from the JSA’s price list announced on July 30, 2026 and updated on October 1, 2026. The fee, payment and re-entry rules come from the 2026 Ticket Oosumo English tournament pages, and the resale warnings from the JSA’s English and Japanese resale notices. Wrestler news comes from the Japan Times, Sponichi and Combat Press, and the ceremony details from the official Endo danpatsu-shiki site.

Ready to Book?

See our tournament tickets page for guided tournament options, or check the tournament calendar if you are still choosing a month. If January sells out before you get a seat, a sumo show is the year-round alternative; our comparison of shows and tournaments explains what you gain and lose.