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Where to watch Grand Sumo
Six Grand Sumo tournaments a year, in four cities and none in Kyoto. Which months, which cities, how long each runs, and how a show differs.
Book the sumo show ↗Quick answer
Grand Sumo stages six tournaments a year. Tokyo has three, in January, May and September, and each of Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka has one, in March, July and November. Every tournament lasts 15 days, from one Sunday to the next. Kyoto hosts none, so a visitor based there who wants ranked competition has to travel, while the Kyoto sumo show offers a staged introduction instead.
The six tournaments
Since 1958, six Grand Sumo tournaments have been held each year, says Wikipedia. Three take place at the Kokugikan in Tokyo, in January, May and September. Osaka's comes in March, Nagoya's in July and Fukuoka's in November. The Japan Sumo Association runs them, and the association's English site lists the schedule and ticket information. Dates and venues for any given year are on that site, so check it rather than relying on a printed list. The association is headquartered at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Sumida, Tokyo, says Wikipedia. It also runs regional tours, called jungyō, which let fans meet wrestlers at meet-and-greet events; those are not tournaments, and they are not this show.
How long each one runs
Each tournament lasts 15 days, from one Sunday to the next around mid-month, says Wikipedia. Over those 15 days the results accumulate, and they decide who rises or falls on the next ranking sheet. The pressure is what separates a tournament from a show: every bout has consequences.
Why Kyoto is not on the list
Kyoto's link with sumo is historical. Wikipedia traces the written term to wrestling contests at the imperial court in the Heian era. The professional calendar, however, is a modern arrangement built around Tokyo and three regional hosts. For a Kyoto-based visitor that means a day trip or a change of base, not a local match. It also explains why a sumo show in Kyoto exists at all: visitors want to see the sport, and the tournaments are elsewhere.
What a show offers instead
The 70-minute Nakagyō show is an introduction rather than a tournament. It has an English-speaking host, wrestlers who demonstrate techniques and compete in live matches, and a ring challenge for selected guests. It will teach you what to look for. A tournament will show you the stakes. Many visitors do both: the show first, to learn the words, and a tournament later, to watch it decided. The two are not rivals, and neither replaces the other.
Read next: Can you see real sumo in Kyoto?
Buying tournament seats
The association's English site carries the ticket information for each tournament. Seats can sell out, so plan ahead rather than assuming a place will be free on the day you arrive. Tournament tickets are sold separately from any show, and this site sells neither. If you want a seat, start from the association's own pages and read the terms for your chosen day before you commit to travel.
Who should travel for one
Travel for a tournament if you want to see ranked competition, follow a favourite wrestler or watch a title decided over several days. Stay in Kyoto for the show if you want an hour of explanation and a ring challenge, or if your trip has no room for another city. Neither choice is wrong; they answer different questions, and each leaves you better prepared for the other. Pick the question you are actually asking: who wins, or what am I looking at? If it is the second, the show is the shorter detour. If it is the first, build the trip around the association's calendar, not around Kyoto.
Frequently asked questions
Where are the six tournaments held?
Tokyo, three times, then Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka once each.
How long does a tournament last?
Fifteen days, opening and closing on a Sunday around mid-month.
Is there a tournament in Kyoto?
No. Kyoto hosts none, though it has a sumo show for visitors.
Where do I check dates and tickets?
On the Japan Sumo Association's English site, which carries the schedule and ticket information.
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