Sumo in December 2026: Winter Jungyo Tour Dates, Tickets and Tokyo Practice

You can’t see a grand tournament in Japan in December 2026, but you can see professional sumo. The Japan Sumo Association’s (JSA) winter regional tour, the fuyu jungyo, runs 19 event days at 18 venues from November 29 to December 20, moving from Kyushu through Kansai and Shizuoka to Kanagawa and Saitama, and finishing with two days in Uruma, Okinawa. Expect open training, handshakes, comedy bouts and top-division matches, with tickets from about ¥5,000 to ¥19,000. Tokyo stable practice picks up again around December 21, when the wrestlers are back from the road.

Last checked: October 23, 2026. Sale status at each jungyo stop changes weekly, so check the organizer’s page before you travel. For the January tournament itself, see our January 2027 ticket guide.

Jungyo tickets are sold stop by stop, mostly in Japanese, and several stops sold out in summer. If you want sumo on a date of your choosing in December, including Christmas week, the sumo show in Shinjuku runs on most days of the month, and the calendar below shows which dates are still open. Our page on the Shinjuku sumo show explains how the evening runs.

Key facts at a glance

Other sumo you can book in December

The jungyo covers 19 days. For the rest of the month, and for evenings, there is sumo you can book around your own dates: sumo shows with a chanko nabe dinner in Shinjuku and Asakusa, morning practice at a stable in Ryogoku from about December 21, hands-on sumo lessons with former wrestlers in Tokyo, and sumo shows in Osaka and Kyoto if you are in Kansai for the Katano or Yao stops. The options below are bookable for dates around your trip.

Why December is underrated

For many visitors, December is the “dead” sumo month: no tournament, and a trip to Ryogoku turns into a museum visit. We think that undersells it. The winter jungyo is a relaxed, often cheaper way to see the wrestlers you would watch at the Kokugikan. You see them warm up a few meters away, shake hands with them, and hear a whole gym laugh at a comedy bout. Tokyo tournament tickets now sell out on the first day of sale. Some jungyo stops are still on sale a few weeks out.

The 2026 winter schedule opens in Amakusa, Kumamoto, on November 29 and ends with a two-day finale in Uruma, Okinawa, on December 19 and 20. The Uruma organizer lists both days, and the dates match the JSA schedule used in our best time to see sumo guide.

The complete 2026 winter jungyo schedule

Doors open at 9:00 and shows end around 14:30–15:00 unless noted. The dates and cities below match the Uruma organizer and the GetYourGuide jungyo listing. Prices and ticket status come from each stop’s organizer and the ticket outlets as of October 20, 2026; they change weekly, so treat them as a guide and check before you buy. “Lawson gone” means Lawson Ticket’s allocation is used up, but other outlets may still have seats.

There are no shows on December 4, 17 or 18. Those are travel days.

The one English-guided jungyo product on GetYourGuide covers every stop on this list by date: Watch Sumo Up Close in Japan, Jungyo Regional Tour Tickets by Yummy Guide includes a second-floor chair seat assigned by the organizer, a pre-event English introduction and help at the entrance, from £238 per person. It is a new listing with no reviews yet, so read the cancellation terms before you book.

Who will be there?

Every jungyo is billed as an appearance by the full sekitori ranks (makuuchi and juryo), plus lower-division wrestlers. Organizers don’t agree on the size of the touring party: Hasuda’s city bulletin says about 200, while Ticket Pia’s Nobeoka listing says about 120 wrestlers. The Uruma organizers have announced yokozuna Hoshoryu and Onosato, ozeki Kotozakura, Kirishima and Aonishiki, and the Okinawa-born Churanoumi. Shizuoka’s poster features Onosato, Hoshoryu, Kirishima, Kotozakura and the Shizuoka-born Midorifuji and Atamifuji.

Injured stars often sit out the winter tour. In 2025, the JSA announced on November 27 that 10 sekitori would skip the whole winter tour, Onosato among them. The 2026 withdrawal list usually follows the end of the Kyushu Basho on November 22, so expect it around November 24–27. Don’t buy a ticket for one specific wrestler until then.

What happens at a jungyo, hour by hour

This follows the published Hiratsuka and Yao programs (December 15 and December 10). Other stops run in nearly the same order.

Hair-tying and tsuna-shime demonstrations belong to the traditional jungyo program, but organizers don’t always list them. Treat them as a bonus.

Jungyo or grand tournament: which suits you?

If you want the drama of real competition, plan for January with our January 2027 guide. If you want to get close to the wrestlers, a jungyo is the better fit.

How to buy jungyo tickets as a foreigner, step by step

Jungyo tickets aren’t sold on the JSA’s English Ticket Oosumo site. A local promoter runs each stop, usually a TV station, newspaper or events company, and sells through Japanese platforms.

1. Pick your stop and check its official page. The JSA schedule lists each stop’s organizer and phone number. The organizer page shows prices, the sale schedule and sold-out notices (look for 完売, “sold out”, and 予定枚数終了, “allocation used up”).
2. Check every outlet, not just one. Each platform gets its own allocation. The Fuji organizers said so in August: Ticket Pia was nearly gone while Lawson Ticket still had seats.
3. Try Ticket Pia (t.pia.jp) first. It has the most foreign-friendly checkout, and many stops show a P-code (Hiratsuka: 866-888). Lawson Ticket (L-code, for example Hasuda 36646 and Uruma 86646) and eplus come next.
4. Pay and collect at a convenience store. Most sites let you pick up at 7-Eleven (Pia) or Lawson and Ministop (L-tike) with a reservation number. Registration often asks for a Japanese phone number, so a hotel’s number or a friend’s may help.
5. Can’t register? Book a guided package. The packages below include the ticket. BuySumoTickets, an English-language agent, also lists several jungyo stops, but the JSA names it among the unauthorized resellers for grand tournaments, and we don’t recommend it (our sold-out guide explains why).
6. Day-of tickets are rare. Most stops are reserved seating only and sell out in advance. Uruma, with open seating and standing tickets, is the likeliest to have walk-up availability, but nothing is promised.
7. Avoid inflated resale. Unofficial resale sites such as Ticket Ryutsu Center and Ticketjam list jungyo seats, often above face value. Paper tickets are usually non-refundable.

Most stops also sell a bento set (¥2,500–¥2,750) or a souvenir set (¥4,500–¥6,000) in advance only, often with a commemorative towel or plate. You can’t buy them at the door. Tamari seats come with a commemorative cushion you keep. You’ll want a Japanese eSIM or pocket Wi-Fi for ticket pickup and for finding your way to venues outside the city centers.

Guided jungyo packages with English support

Our picks

• From Tokyo: Hiratsuka, Tuesday December 15. It’s on sale, an hour from Tokyo on the JR Tokaido or Shonan-Shinjuku line, and ENJYU runs an English-guided day there. The published program includes the four-wrestler handshake session and kids’ practice. Backup: Fuji (December 14) on the additional release, with Mt Fuji views on a clear winter morning.
• From Osaka or Kyoto: Katano, Wednesday December 9. It’s on sale, guided by ENJYU, and a short walk from JR Kawachi-Iwafune. Yao (December 10) is the alternative: the city’s first jungyo in about 50 years, with a package from Japan Burari Trip. Our guide to sumo in Osaka covers the shows and chanko spots for the rest of your stay.
• With kids: Hiratsuka or Yao. Both list the handshake session and the kids-versus-sekitori practice. Tamari S seats at most stops don’t admit preschoolers, and the GetYourGuide package isn’t suitable for children under 10. For year-round options in Tokyo, see our guide to sumo with kids.
• The Okinawa option: Uruma, December 19–20. It’s the tour finale and the only two-day stop. Okinawa stays mild in December, with highs around 20°C, and there’s open seating plus ¥5,000 standing tickets. Day 1 doors open at noon, so book day 2 if you want the full morning practice. It pairs well with a winter beach break.
• On the Kyushu leg: Iizuka (December 5) is about 45 minutes from Hakata, so it fits a Fukuoka stay; our Nagoya and Fukuoka guide covers the city, and our Kyushu Basho guide covers Fukuoka sumo now that the November tournament has sold out.

Tokyo morning practice in December, week by week

The top wrestlers are on the road for most of December, so Tokyo stables are quiet until the tour ends. Here’s how the month breaks down:

Arashio stable (free, through the window): Arashio-beya in Nihonbashi-Hamacho lets anyone watch through its street-level windows on days marked on its online calendar. Its English page gives practice hours of 7:30–9:00 a.m. (another line on the same page says 9:30). The stable says the calendar is the only schedule and that phoning or emailing won’t get you more information. Older guides tell you to call the night before; that advice is out of date. Don’t go inside, keep quiet, and dress warmly, because you’ll be standing on a December sidewalk.

Guided stable tours: these give you a seat inside a stable, an English guide and often a photo with the wrestlers. Before booking in December, ask the operator two things: whether any sekitori will be there, and which stable it is. Many tours have a minimum age of 12. Tokyo: Sumo Watching with journalist and walks (from $101, 4.9/5 from 308 reviews) pairs a practice session with a sumo journalist’s commentary and a walk through Ryogoku; pick a date from December 21 on.

Our winter morning practice calendar rates every week from November to early March, and our morning practice page explains how visits work.

Other December sumo options

• Saturday December 5: Hatsu Basho ticket sale day. January 2027 tickets go on general sale. The ranking chart (banzuke) is scheduled for December 21, after the sale, and Tokyo ticket prices go up from January 2027. Our sold-out guide covers your backup options.
• Sunday December 6: All-Japan Sumo Championship, the amateur national championship at Ryogoku Kokugikan, from 10:30. The winner earns the title “amateur yokozuna”, and it’s a rare chance to sit inside the Kokugikan outside a tournament. The All-Japan Elementary School Championship follows at 13:30. Our Ryogoku Kokugikan guide covers the building and the neighborhood.
• Saturday December 19: National Youth Sumo Championship at Arena Tachikawa Tachihi (amateur).
• Sumo Museum (Kokugikan, free): open on weekdays outside tournaments, roughly 10:00–16:30, and closed weekends, holidays and over New Year. It closes between exhibitions, so check the museum’s calendar before you go.
• Sumo shows with dinner (Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto): these run year-round and are the easiest guaranteed sumo for families. In Tokyo, Tokyo: Shinjuku Sumo Show & Experience with Photo (from $65, 4.9/5 from 9,702 reviews) runs most evenings; in Osaka, the Osaka sumo experience (from $58, 4.5/5 from 1,526 reviews) suits a Katano or Yao trip. Book ahead for Christmas week and confirm New Year closures. Our sumo dinner shows and chanko guide compares the Tokyo venues.
• Chanko nabe in Ryogoku: December is hot-pot season, and a bowl of sumo stew after a cold morning at Arashio’s window is the natural pairing.
• December 31: the Kokugikan hosts Sada Masashi’s New Year countdown concert. It isn’t sumo, but you get inside the building.

Practical tips for December

• Dress for a cold gym. Venues are municipal gymnasiums with partial heating. Bring layers, and note that the arena floor is shoes-off at Hiratsuka, Shizuoka and Hasuda, so pack slippers and thick socks.
• Tamari (ringside) seats: no high cushions or stools, and wrestlers can fall into the front rows. Most stops don’t admit preschoolers to tamari S seats.
• Second-floor ticket holders can’t go down to the arena floor. Handshake lines and practice happen on the floor, so at some stops the cheapest seats mean less contact with the wrestlers.
• Alcohol: don’t bring your own (Hiratsuka confiscates it); beer is usually sold inside.
• Getting there: most venues are a bus ride or a long walk from the station, and parking is restricted at Shizuoka and Hiratsuka. Leave Tokyo by 7:30 for a 9:00 opening.
• Weather: Tokyo and Osaka are crisp and usually dry in December, with highs around 12°C and lows near 4°C. Kyushu is a little milder, and Okinawa is warm.
• Handshake and photo etiquette: keep the handshake brief, don’t grab a wrestler’s arm or hair, and ask “Shashin ii desu ka?” before a selfie. Don’t approach wrestlers during practice or before their bouts.

FAQ

Is there a sumo tournament in December 2026?

No. Grand tournaments run in odd-numbered months. The next is the Hatsu Basho at Ryogoku Kokugikan, January 10–24, 2027.

Can I see sumo in December in Japan?

Yes. The winter jungyo runs November 29 to December 20, 2026, with 19 event days at 18 venues across Kyushu, Chugoku, Kansai, Shizuoka, Kanto and Okinawa.

Is there a jungyo in Tokyo in December 2026?

Not in Tokyo itself. The nearest stops are Hiratsuka, Kanagawa (December 15) and Hasuda, Saitama (December 16), each about an hour away.

How much are winter jungyo tickets?

Roughly ¥5,000–¥11,000 for upper-level chairs and ¥14,000–¥19,000 for ringside tamari seats. Okinawa has ¥12,000 open seating and ¥5,000 standing.

Where do I buy jungyo tickets?

On Ticket Pia, Lawson Ticket, eplus, CN Playguide or the local organizer’s site, all in Japanese. In English, book a guided package: the GetYourGuide jungyo listing, ENJYU JAPAN or Japan Burari Trip.

Which jungyo stops are sold out?

As of October 20, 2026: Amakusa, Shizuoka and Uji, with Nishinomiya and Hasuda also reported sold out by BuySumoTickets. Lawson’s allocation is gone for Aira, Kure, Nishinomiya and Sanda.

What happens at a jungyo?

Open practice, handshakes, children’s sumo, shokkiri comedy, sumo jinku songs, drum demonstrations, lower- and top-division bouts, the yokozuna ring entry and the bow ceremony. It runs from about 9:00 to 15:00.

Will the yokozuna be there?

Hoshoryu and Onosato are advertised, but injuries often cause withdrawals. Check the JSA’s withdrawal list, usually published around November 24–27.

Can kids attend a jungyo?

Yes, and children love it. At most stops, children under about 3 sit on a lap for free in the upper seats, but preschoolers aren’t admitted to tamari S seats. The GetYourGuide package isn’t suitable for children under 10.

Can I see sumo morning practice in Tokyo in December?

Yes, and from about December 21 onward is best. Before that, most top wrestlers are away on tour.

Is Arashio stable open to watch in December?

Only on days marked on its online calendar (arashio.net). Viewing runs from 7:30 to about 9:00 a.m., through the windows, and is free. Don’t phone the stable.

When do January 2027 tournament tickets go on sale?

Saturday, December 5, 2026. The banzuke is scheduled for December 21.

Is the Sumo Museum open in December?

On weekdays, roughly 10:00–16:30. It’s closed weekends, holidays and over New Year, and between exhibitions.

Is there sumo in Okinawa in December 2026?

Yes. The tour finale is in Uruma, at the Ishikawa Multi-Purpose Dome, on December 19 (doors 12:00) and December 20 (doors 9:00).

Is a jungyo worth it compared with a tournament?

For atmosphere and getting close to the wrestlers, yes. For competitive stakes, no.

How we checked this

We read the Uruma organizer’s 2026 page (Live Forward) for the finale dates, prices and door times, the GetYourGuide jungyo listing for its stop list and inclusions, and the JSA’s 2026 regional tour schedule as recorded on this site. Prices and sale status come from each stop’s organizer page and from Ticket Pia, Lawson Ticket, CN Playguide and BuySumoTickets as of October 20, 2026. The amateur championship dates come from the Japan Sumo Federation’s event calendar, and the Arashio hours from the stable’s own English page.

Ready to Book?

For January, see our tournament tickets page and the January 2027 ticket guide. If your December dates miss the jungyo, a sumo show runs on most nights, and morning practice picks up again from December 21.