Grand Sumo Autumn Tournament (Aki Basho) 2027
**The 2027 Grand Sumo Autumn Tournament (Aki Basho) runs Sep 12–26, 2027 at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo** — 15 straight days of top-division bouts. It's a 2-minute walk from JR Ryogoku Station. Tickets go on sale roughly 5–8 weeks ahead via the official English site; arrive by ~15:00 for the makuuchi stars.
When · Where
- When
- 2027/09/11 23:00 – 2027/09/26
- Where
- Ryogoku Kokugikan（1-3-28 Yokoami, Sumida-ku, Tokyo）
- City
- Tokyo
- Getting there
- ~2-min walk from the West Exit of JR Ryogoku Station (Sobu Line), or ~5 min from Ryogoku Station (A3/A4 exits) on the Toei Oedo subway line.
- Price
- Paid, ticketed. Rough guide (approximate 2026 prices — the 2027 fares are released with each tournament, so confirm on sumo.or.jp; as of July 2026): ringside tamari-seki around ¥20,000/person; masu-seki tatami boxes about ¥9,000–15,000/person by tier and day; Western chair (isu-seki) seats from about ¥3,500 (tier C, weekday) up to ¥11,000+ (tier SS). A limited number of same-day chair tickets (tojitsu-ken) are sold at the box office each morning, first-come.
- Organizer
- Japan Sumo Association (Nihon Sumo Kyokai)
Good to know for visitors
- Getting there
- ~2-min walk from the West Exit of JR Ryogoku Station (Sobu Line), or ~5 min from Ryogoku Station (A3/A4 exits) on the Toei Oedo subway line. Open directions in Google Maps ↗
- Booking & entry
- Check tickets and details on the official page (button above).
- Paying
- Paid, ticketed. Rough guide (approximate 2026 prices — the 2027 fares are released with each tournament, so confirm on sumo.or.jp; as of July 2026): ringside tamari-seki around ¥20,000/person; masu-seki tatami boxes about ¥9,000–15,000/person by tier and day; Western chair (isu-seki) seats from about ¥3,500 (tier C, weekday) up to ¥11,000+ (tier SS). A limited number of same-day chair tickets (tojitsu-ken) are sold at the box office each morning, first-come.. Smaller venues in Japan are often cash-first — carry some yen (cards/IC not guaranteed).
- Language
- Mostly in Japanese — a translation app on your phone helps.
- Good for
- culture seekers, families, groups of friends
Highlights
- 15 straight days of top-division sumo in the sport's spiritual home, Ryogoku Kokugikan
- The full-day rhythm builds to the makuuchi ring-entering (~15:45) and yokozuna bouts (~17:30), closing with the bow-twirling ceremony
- Choose your view: ringside tamari cushions, tatami masu boxes where you can eat an ekiben, or accessible Western chair seats
- Chanko-nabe, the wrestlers' hotpot, sold in the Kokugikan basement and at Ryogoku restaurants nearby
Background & story
The Aki Basho is one of six official grand sumo tournaments (honbasho) held each year, and one of three staged in Tokyo at the Ryogoku Kokugikan. Each honbasho runs 15 days from Sunday to Sunday, with a wrestler's daily result over those 15 bouts deciding promotion, demotion and the Emperor's Cup. The Japan Sumo Association confirmed the 2027 calendar on May 29, 2025.
Good to know
To catch the top-division stars, arrive around 14:00–15:00; the day always ends by about 18:00, so a mid-afternoon start is plenty. Buy early via the official English site sumo.or.jp/EnTicket (international cards accepted) — Tokyo weekends and final days sell out fastest. If you miss out, a limited number of same-day chair tickets go on sale at the box office each morning. Keep your seat cushion on your seat (throwing it is prohibited for safety), and use the coin lockers if you're carrying large bags. The Aki Basho is the last Tokyo tournament of the year before the Kyushu Basho in Fukuoka — see our Grand Sumo Kyushu guide if you're heading south afterward.