The shape of it
About
Tokyo hosts three of the six annual Grand Sumo tournaments at the historic Ryogoku Kokugikan. The Aki Basho (Autumn tournament) runs 15 straight days in September, with daily bouts building from lower ranks to the top yokozuna matches in the late afternoon.
Highlights
- 15 days of bouts in the spiritual home of sumo, the Ryogoku Kokugikan
- Ringside box (masu) seats put you within feet of the action
- Pre-bout rituals — salt throwing, stomping and the ring-entering ceremony
- Top-division matches and the championship race build over the final weekend
Plan it well
- Book early: weekends and the final days (senshuraku) sell out well in advance.
- Top-division (makuuchi) bouts are late afternoon — around 15:30 onward — so arrive then if you only want the big names.
- Try the venue's famous chankonabe (sumo hotpot) and pick up sumo souvenirs inside.
- No bottles or cans are allowed in; the Sumida Hokusai Museum and Edo-Tokyo area are nearby for the rest of the day.
Where it happens
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