Sumo Tours
by Japan Wonder Travel

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November 12, 2024: Tokyo Sumo Tournament Tour, January 2025 goes on sale now!

Discover the fascinating world of sumo wrestling with our exclusive and exciting tours!

Grand sumo tournaments occur in the odd-numbered months of the year. If you plan to travel to Japan during those months, you'll have the incredible opportunity to attend, and even join a guided tour with English support for the best experience. For a more personal, behind-the-scenes type of deal, check out the morning practice tours to see the wrestlers train at their stables (where they live and train) and possibly even eat and talk with them!

Since we have partnered up with various sumo stables, we can guarantee the best price for sumo tours in Japan!

Tokyo Sumo Tournament Tour (January 2025)

Tokyo Sumo Tournament Tour takes place at Ryogoku Kokugikan from January 12th - 26th
Tours are available for any date, only through Japan Wonder Travel! This includes opening and closing days.

Tickets Available NOW!

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1st Floor Seats

Only a few Box Seats are available for November 11, 13, and 16 during the tournament! The Box Seats allow you to watch the sumo wrestling closer to the ring. If you are planning to watch the sumo with a group of 4 in S-Class or A-Class chair seats, taking a Box Seat that fits up to 4 people is actually a better deal!

2nd Floor Seats

Tokyo Sumo Morning Practice Tours

Attending a morning practice session is no small opportunity; we're lucky enough to have partnerships with various stables that allow this as many do not. These exclusive viewings are permitted and offer an incredible glimpse into the intense world of sumo.

Watch the real sumo wrestler's intense practice up close and learn the history and culture of sumo wrestling from a professional bilingual guide!
The sumo morning practice tours are now available for September!

*Please note that the practice may end earlier than usual, meaning the tour will be shorter than mentioned depending on the day

📝What is a Sumo Stable?

Sumo stables are the places where sumo wrestlers reside and train together with their oyakata, the master of the stable. Though the number of stables may vary from year to year, currently, there are 44 of them in Japan and they are all located in the Kanto area. The wrestlers adhere to strict rules, share meals, and divide housework. They have a strict hierarchy by division, which means the lower-ranked rikishi are responsible for most of the chores and assist the higher-ranked rikishi with tasks such as running errands and even scrubbing their backs.
The lower-ranked rikishi wake up early to prepare for practice and can only eat after the higher-ranked rikishi have finished their meals.

Sumo Grand Tournament Tour (Odd-Numbered Months)

Grand Sumo Tournaments take place six times a year, and Tokyo hosts the tournament in January, May, and September at the sumo stadium "Ryogoku Kokugikan." The March tournament is in Osaka, the July tournament is in Nagoya, and the November tournament is in Fukuoka.

Sumo Tournament Tours for May (Tokyo), July (Nagoya), September (Tokyo), November (Fukuoka), and January (Tokyo) will be available about two months before the tournament starts.

For further clarity, the full tournament schedule is as follows:

2024 Grand Sumo Tournament Schedule

2025 Grand Sumo Tournament Schedule

📝 About the Grand Sumo Tournaments

The bouts go on from morning to evening, starting with lower-ranked wrestlers at around 8:30 am. If you arrive at the stadium by 3:30 pm, you can catch the ring-entering ceremony of the stronger wrestlers. The bouts usually conclude by 6 pm. Professional wrestlers are categorized into six divisions, with Makuuchi being the highest and Jonokuchi being the lowest. After each tournament, the wrestlers’ rankings are determined based on their performance, and the number of matches varies between the divisions. Makuuchi has 18 matches, Makushita has 30 matches, Juryo has 13 matches, and Sandanme has 48 matches.

Fukuoka Sumo Tournament Tour (November 2024)

Fukuoka Sumo Tournament Tour takes place at Fukuoka Convention Center on November 10-24, 2024

Fukuoka Sumo Tournament Tour, November 2024 goes on sale now!

Tokyo Sumo Tournament Tour (January 2025)

💺Seat types

Click 1 to see the box seats on the 1st floor and click 2 to see the chair seats on the 2nd floor

Chair Seats: All on the 2nd floor of the arena, and they are individual fold down chair seats.
These seats are divided into 4 different sections; S, A, B, and C-class seats. The S-class seats are at the very front of the 2nd floor seating and the C seats are at the very top. Although you may think that these might be the worst seats as they are the most high up, the arena itself isn’t all that big and you will have a pretty good view of the dohyo (sumo ring) no matter where you are watching from.

Box Seats: All on the first floor, which give you a great view of the dohyo and bouts! They are cushion seats and there is no backrest.
These seats come in a set of 4 seats, and you have to buy them as a package. It can be a little tough to get depending on the tournament and day. These seats are divided into 4 main sections; S, A, B, and C-class seats. The S seats are closest to the dohyo right behind the ringside seats, and the C seats are at the back of the first floor. Be aware that you need to take your shoes off when sitting here.

The view from S-Class Chair Seats (example)

The view from Box Seats on the first floor (example)

Osaka Sumo Tournament Tour (March 2025)

Osaka Sumo Tournament Tour takes place at Edion Arena Osaka on March 9-23, 2025.

Tickets will be available in January!

🔔Notify me when available

Nagoya Sumo Tournament Tour (July 2025)

Nagoya Sumo Tournament Tour takes place at Dolphins Arena on July 14-28, 2024. Tours are available for any date, only through Japan Wonder Travel! This includes opening and closing days.

💺Seat Types

Chair Seats: All are on the back of the arena, and they are individual fold-down chair seats. These seats are divided into 3 different sections; S, A, and B-class seats. The S-class seats are at the very front of the stand seats and the B seats are at the very top. Although you may think that these might be the worst seats as they are the most high up, the arena itself isn’t all that big and you will have a pretty good view of the dohyo (sumo ring) no matter where you are watching from.

Box Seats: All give you a great view of the dohyo and bouts! They are cushion seats and there is no backrest. These seats come in a set of 1-4 seats, and you have to buy them as a package. It can be a little tough to get depending on the tournament and day. These seats are divided into 4 main sections; S, A, B, and C-class seats. The S seats are closest to the dohyo right behind the ringside seats, and the C seats are at the back of the first floor. Be aware that you need to take your shoes off when sitting here.

🚃Access to Dolphins Arena (Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium)

It’s located in the central part of the city and is close to Nagoya Castle, the arena is easily accessible.

From Nagoya Station:

1. Nagoya Station - (Higashiyama Line) Sakae Station - (Meijo Line) Nagoyajo Station > Walk 5 minutes from Exit 7 (Total Trip: about 20 minutes)
2. Nagoya Station - (Sakuradori Line) Hisaya Odori Station - (Meijo Line) Nagoyajo Station > Walk 5 minutes from Exit 7 (Total Trip: about 20 minutes)

If you travel from Tokyo, it will be about a 2-hour trip in one way. It’s possible to make a day trip from Tokyo to Nagoya to watch the tournament!

From Tokyo Station:

1. Tokyo Station - (Shinkansen) Nagoya Station - (Higashiyama Line) Sakae Station - (Meijo Line) Nagoyajo Station > Walk 5 minutes from Exit 7 (Total Trip: about 2 hours)
2. Tokyo Station - (Shinkansen) Nagoya Station - (Sakuradori Line) Hisaya Odori Station - (Meijo Line) Nagoyajo Station > Walk 5 minutes from Exit 7 (Total Trip: about 2 hours)

From Kyoto Station:

1. Kyoto Station - (Shinkansen) Nagoya Station - (Higashiyama Line) Sakae Station - (Meijo Line) Nagoyajo Station > Walk 5 minutes from Exit 7 (Total Trip: about 1 hour)
2. Kyoto Station - (Shinkansen) Nagoya Station - (Sakuradori Line) Hisaya Odori Station - (Meijo Line) Nagoyajo Station > Walk 5 minutes from Exit 7 (Total Trip: about 1 hour)

🧳1-Day Itinerary Example (from Tokyo-Nagoya-Kyoto)

10 am: Leaving the hotel
11 am -12:30 pm: Travel to Nagoya by Shinkansen (bullet train)
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm: Lunch
2 pm - 6 pm: Sumo Grand Tournament Tour
7 pm - 8 pm: Travel to Kyoto by Shinkansen, hotel check-in

Coming soon: Other Sumo Tours

Visit the Yokozuna's (Grand Champion) stable with us!

With a chance to see the reigning champion train, this tour is one nobody would want to miss- despite any level of sumo enthusiasm.
Watch other professionals train side-by-side rookies staking their claims, and afterward enjoy a homemade sumo feast featuring their famed Chanko Nabe.

*This tour will be available soon!

🔔Notify me when available