# Where should you stay to watch sumo in Tokyo?

> Sumo in Tokyo 2027: January 10-24, May 9-23 and September 12-26 at Ryogoku Kokugikan. Best areas to stay, 2027 ticket prices and how to buy.

- Source: https://clevertourists.com/resources/where-to-stay-for-sumo-in-tokyo
- Authors: Evan & Clara, Clever Tourists (first-hand, from years of travel across 20 countries)
- Published: 2026-10-24
- Last updated: 2026-10-29

**Stay in Ryogoku itself if sumo is the reason for the trip: the Kokugikan is a one-minute walk from JR Ryogoku Station, according to the Japan Sumo Association (JSA). Second choice is anywhere on the JR Sobu Line between Akihabara and Kinshicho.** Tokyo hosts three of the six annual tournaments, all at Ryogoku Kokugikan: **10 to 24 January, 9 to 23 May and 12 to 26 September 2027**, per the JSA schedule. The hotel search above opens on the January tournament's final weekend (Friday 22 to Monday 25 January 2027), when demand and ticket prices peak. We spent 9 days in Tokyo across March and April 2023, but not during a Tokyo tournament, so the dates, prices and transport times below come from the JSA and its ticket site rather than our own visit.

## 2027 Tokyo tournament dates and when tickets go on sale

Each grand tournament (honbasho) runs for 15 days, Sunday to Sunday. The JSA's 2027 schedule for Ryogoku Kokugikan:

• **January Tournament:** Sunday 10 to Sunday 24 January 2027. Advance tickets on sale **5 December 2026**; rankings (banzuke) announced 21 December 2026.

• **May Tournament:** Sunday 9 to Sunday 23 May 2027. Tickets on sale 10 April 2027.

• **September Tournament:** Sunday 12 to Sunday 26 September 2027. Tickets on sale 7 August 2027.

The other three tournaments are outside Tokyo: Osaka (14 to 28 March 2027), Nagoya (11 to 25 July) and Fukuoka (14 to 28 November). If your Japan dates fall in one of those months, our [Japan guide](https://clevertourists.com/guides/japan) covers the cities.

January's tournament starts the weekend after the New Year closures, and day two (Monday 11 January) is Coming of Age Day, a public holiday, so it is priced as a holiday. Pack for cold: see [Japan in winter](https://clevertourists.com/resources/japan-in-winter-december-january-february-weather-packing-guide).

## Getting to Ryogoku Kokugikan

The JSA's venue page gives the Kokugikan as a **1-minute walk from JR Ryogoku Station** (Sobu Line) and a **5-minute walk from Ryogoku Station on the Toei Oedo Line**. It puts the hall 10 minutes from Tokyo and Ueno stations and 17 minutes from Shinjuku. The hall holds 11,098 people, so the JR station is crowded at the end of each day.

A Suica or Pasmo card covers both lines; our [IC card guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/japan-suica-pasmo-ic-card-tourist-guide-transit-tips) explains how to get one. From Haneda or Narita, see our [airport guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/tokyo-haneda-vs-narita-airport-transit-guide).

## Where to stay, ranked by time to the Kokugikan

**1. Ryogoku.** The walk to the hall is a few minutes from most hotels here, and the area is built around sumo: training stables (heya) in the back streets and chanko nabe restaurants, the hotpot wrestlers eat (see [what to eat in Tokyo](https://clevertourists.com/resources/what-to-eat-in-tokyo)). Mostly business hotels and mid-range, with few big international brands. The catch: it is quiet at night and a little out of the way for the rest of Tokyo, and rooms near the hall go first in tournament weeks.

**2. Kinshicho.** One stop east on the JR Sobu Line. A busier commercial hub with shopping, restaurants and a wider spread of business hotels, often a little cheaper than Ryogoku itself. The catch: it is a nightlife district, so pick a hotel off the main streets if you want quiet.

**3. Akihabara and Asakusabashi.** Two and one stops west on the same line. Akihabara gives you a major interchange (Yamanote, Hibiya and Tsukuba Express lines as well) and a lot of hotel stock. The catch: rooms can be small and the area is crowded at weekends.

**4. Asakusa.** Across the Sumida River to the north, with the Senso-ji temple district and traditional streets. Reach the Kokugikan via the Toei Oedo Line (Kuramae is the next stop from Ryogoku) or by taxi. The catch: it is a change of line or a longer walk, not a single direct ride. Our [where to stay in Tokyo](https://clevertourists.com/resources/where-to-stay-in-tokyo) guide covers Asakusa in detail.

**5. Nihonbashi and Tokyo Station.** The JSA puts Tokyo Station 10 minutes from the hall. Best if you are arriving by Shinkansen or want a central base for the rest of the trip. The catch: higher prices, and evenings around the station are business-district quiet.

Shinjuku and Shibuya work too (17 minutes from Shinjuku by the JSA's count), but you give up the walk-home convenience that makes Ryogoku worth it.

## How to buy sumo tickets, and 2027 prices

The JSA's English ticket channel is **Ticket Oosumo English** (sumo.pia.jp/en), run with Ticket Pia. The JSA warns that it is not responsible for tickets sold through unofficial websites, and its spectator terms prohibit resale. Advance sales open on the dates above; before general sale there are fan club and lottery rounds, including an International Advance Lottery that ran for the November 2026 tournament.

Book as soon as sales open. For the **November 2026 tournament, Ticket Oosumo listed every date as sold out with no tickets sold on the day**, and the JSA's group-ticket page for January 2027 already said group sales were closed because all dates and seat types had sold out. Treat same-day tickets as a long shot, not a plan.

The JSA has raised Tokyo prices from the January 2027 tournament and added separate prices for **day 14 and the final day (senshuraku)**. Per person, including tax:

• **Chair seat C** (upper level): ¥5,000 (≈ $32) weekdays, ¥6,000 (≈ $38) weekends and holidays, ¥7,000 (≈ $44) on day 14 and the final day.

• **Chair seat D:** ¥3,000 (≈ $19.0) for adults, the cheapest seat.

• **Box seat C (masu)**, a floor box for four where you sit on cushions: ¥9,500 (≈ $60) per person on weekdays, ¥10,500 (≈ $66) at weekends, ¥11,500 (≈ $73) on the last two days. Boxes are sold whole, so multiply by four.

• **Ringside (tamari):** ¥25,000 (≈ $158) weekdays, ¥27,500 (≈ $174) weekends, ¥30,000 (≈ $190) on the last two days.

A handling fee is added to the ticket price, according to the JSA's how-to-buy page.

## Tournament day logistics

A tournament day runs from morning to about 6pm, with the lower divisions first. The top division (makuuchi) ring-entering ceremony and bouts are in the late afternoon, so most visitors arrive after lunch. These are typical timings from spectator guides, not a published JSA timetable for 2027; check on the day.

The final weekend is the most expensive and the most likely to decide the championship, which is why the hotel search opens on 22 to 25 January. A weekday early in the tournament is cheaper and, according to several ticket guides, easier to get seats for.

Box seats are cramped: four people on cushions with no back support for several hours. If knees or backs are a problem, buy chair seats. Shoes come off in the box seats, and standing in the aisles to film blocks the people behind you. Our [Japan etiquette guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/japan-etiquette-mistakes-tourists-make-chopsticks-trains-shoes) covers the general rules.

If you can only do Tokyo for a few days, our [how many days in Tokyo](https://clevertourists.com/resources/how-many-days-in-tokyo) article helps fit a sumo day around the rest.

## Frequently asked questions

### When are the Tokyo sumo tournaments in 2027?

According to the Japan Sumo Association, the Tokyo tournaments at Ryogoku Kokugikan run 10 to 24 January, 9 to 23 May and 12 to 26 September 2027.

### When do January 2027 sumo tickets go on sale?

Advance tickets for the January 2027 tournament go on sale on 5 December 2026, per the JSA schedule. The official English seller is Ticket Oosumo English.

### How much are sumo tickets in Tokyo in 2027?

From January 2027 the cheapest adult seat (chair D) is ¥3,000 (≈ $19.0) and chair C is ¥5,000 to ¥7,000 (≈ $32–44) depending on the day. A four-person C box costs ¥9,500 to ¥11,500 (≈ $60–73) per person. A handling fee is added.

### What is the best area to stay for sumo in Tokyo?

Ryogoku, where the Kokugikan is a one-minute walk from JR Ryogoku Station. Kinshicho and Akihabara are one and two stops away on the same JR Sobu Line.

### Can you buy sumo tickets on the day?

Do not count on it. For the November 2026 tournament the official seller listed every date sold out and said no tickets would be sold on the day.