Sumo is an ancient sport, and although its exact origin date is unknown, sumo figurines have been uncovered that date back to the Kofun Period (between the third and seventh centuries). Sumo evolved into its present form during the Edo Period (1603–1868).
Today, sumo is recognized as Japan’s national sport and retains much of its traditional roots, making it a unique and insightful Japanese event to observe.
The next Grand Sumo Tournament is May 12–May 26, 2024. Tickets went on sale from April 6, 2024 at 10:00am.
Grand Sumo Tournaments
Every year, the Japan Sumo Association hosts six Grand Sumo Tournaments, or honbasho, and each competition lasts 15 days. Tokyo hosts three of these tournaments, and the remaining three are held in Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka. The rankings of the sumo wrestlers (rikishi) are recorded on a banzuke, or ranking chart, and a group of sumo judges adjusts the list after every tournament in accordance with the wrestlers’ performances. There are six sumo divisions, with the top division being Makuuchi and the second division being Juryo. By winning bouts at the Grand Sumo Tournaments, sumo wrestlers can rise through the ranks.
Grand Sumo Tournaments schedule
The six annual sumo tournaments are listed below — for events that have passed, we show the dates for the following year's edition.
| Tournament | Venue | Tickets available from | Sumo ranking announced |
Cultura
January Grand Sumo Tournament (Tokyo) 2025Japan's six-tournament sumo season starts in mid-January with the January Grand Sumo Tournament. | Kokugikan (Tokyo) | Dec 7, 2024 | Dec 23, 2024 |
| EDION Arena Osaka (Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium) | Feb 8, 2025 | Feb 25, 2025 | |
Cultura
May Grand Sumo Tournament (Tokyo) 2024Professional sumo's third tournament of the year is held in Tokyo at the Ryogoku Kokugikan from mid-to-late May. | Kokugikan (Tokyo) | Apr 6, 2024 | Apr 30, 2024 |
Cultura
July Grand Sumo Tournament (Nagoya) 2024The Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament will feature a host of veterans and up-and-coming wrestlers at the Dolphins Arena in Nagoya. | Dolphins Arena (Nagoya) | May 25, 2024 | Jul 1, 2024 |
| Kokugikan (Tokyo) | Aug 10, 2024 | Aug 26, 2024 | |
Cultura
November Grand Sumo Tournament (Fukuoka) 2024Professional sumo's final tournament of the year will be held in Fukuoka City in western Japan. | Fukuoka Kokusai Center (Fukuoka) | Sep 14, 2024 | Oct 28, 2024 |
If you would like to witness these Grand Sumo Tournaments yourself, you can easily purchase tickets online. Just remember that you can only buy tickets after the pre-sale date in the table listed above.
See Grand Sumo Tournaments schedule for 2025.
Dive deep into sumo
Guide to Sumo at the Kokugikan
Maximize your enjoyment of your visit to the sumo in Tokyo's Ryogoku area, and discover what goes on inside the Kokugikan.
