Highlights
- Sumo in its most famous arena, the Ryogoku Kokugikan, the sport's spiritual home
- The last Tokyo tournament of the year, often deciding rankings before the final basho
- Museum displays, ranking banners and the chanko-nabe stew sold inside the hall
Background & story
The Aki (autumn) basho is the third and final tournament held each year in Tokyo at the Ryogoku Kokugikan, the purpose-built sumo arena in the historic Ryogoku district that has been home to the sport since the Edo period.
Quick answer
The Aki Basho (September Grand Sumo Tournament) 2026 runs for 15 days, September 13–27, at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo — opening and closing on a Sunday, as every honbasho does. General ticket sales open August 8, 2026 through the official Ticket Oosumo site, and the most popular days (weekends, senshuraku/final day, and any day featuring a yokozuna) can sell out within hours of the sale window opening, so it pays to be logged in and ready. (Sale date and seat prices below are collated from official-ticket resellers and ticket guides current as of July 2026 — always confirm exact pricing and availability on Ticket Oosumo once the sale window opens.)
Tournament dates & daily schedule
- Dates: September 13 (Sun) – September 27 (Sun), 2026 — 15 consecutive days, no rest days
- Venue: Ryogoku Kokugikan, 1-3-28 Yokoami, Sumida-ku, Tokyo
- Daily flow: the day opens with lower-division bouts in the morning, building through the ranks to the top-tier makuuchi wrestlers, who take the dohyo from around 4:00 PM; the final bout of the day typically wraps by 6:00 PM
- September 27 is senshuraku, the tournament's final day, when the yusho (championship) is decided — the single hardest day to get a ticket for
When do tickets go on sale?
Japan Sumo Association tickets are released roughly a month before each tournament starts. For the Aki Basho, general sales open August 8, 2026 through Ticket Oosumo, the official English-language ticket portal. Tickets are sold by specific date, so decide which day(s) you want before the sale opens — you generally can't switch dates after booking. Because the September tournament is one of the harder ones to get into, tickets for popular days can sell out within minutes of the sale window opening.
Seat types & prices
Ryogoku Kokugikan has three broad seating classes, priced differently for weekdays versus weekends and the final days:
| Seat type | Weekday | Weekend / final days |
|---|---|---|
| Tamari-seki (ringside cushions) | ~¥20,000 | ~¥20,000 |
| Masu-seki S (box, per person) | ~¥14,000 | ~¥15,000 |
| Masu-seki A | ~¥12,000 | ~¥13,000 |
| Masu-seki B | ~¥10,000 | ~¥10,500 |
| Masu-seki C | ~¥8,500 | ~¥9,500 |
| Chair S | ~¥9,000 | ~¥9,500 |
| Chair A | ~¥8,000 | ~¥8,500 |
| Chair B | ~¥5,000 | ~¥5,500 |
| Chair C (cheapest) | ~¥3,500 | ~¥4,000 |
A few things worth knowing:
- Tamari-seki (floor cushions right at ringside) are the closest seats to the clay dohyo — close enough that a wrestler occasionally lands in your lap. They're restricted to ages 16+, with no food, drink, or phone use allowed, and are extremely limited — often reserved for sponsors and rarely available in the general online sale.
- Masu-seki (box seats) are traditional tatami floor seating sold in blocks of four, so solo travelers usually can't book a masu seat alone.
- Chair seats on the 2nd floor are the easiest option for solo visitors or families, and the only seats with actual Western-style chairs.
- The Japan Sumo Association's own English pages describe arena chair seats as starting "from around ¥3,000" — in practice the cheapest weekday chair tickets run closer to ¥3,500 once fees are included, so budget for that range.
How overseas fans buy tickets
- Official site (cheapest, recommended): Ticket Oosumo English — register with an email address, verify it, then buy directly once sales open. International Visa/Mastercard credit cards are generally accepted, and tickets are collected as e-tickets or printed via machine at the venue using your booking confirmation and photo ID.
- Travel platforms: Klook, Viator, and GetYourGuide sell official or guided-experience sumo tickets and are often a more reliable route for the September tournament specifically.
- BuySumoTickets.com — not available for this basho: this well-known third-party reseller has stated it is not accepting orders for the September 2026 Grand Sumo Tournament because of low ticket availability, so don't count on it for Aki Basho — go through Ticket Oosumo or a travel platform instead.
- In person: same-day tickets occasionally appear at the Kokugikan box office, but for September this is unreliable — the tournament routinely sells out in advance.
Getting there & practical tips
Ryogoku Kokugikan is a 1-minute walk from the West Exit of JR Ryogoku Station on the Sobu Line (also reachable via the Toei Oedo subway line). The surrounding Ryogoku neighborhood is Tokyo's sumo district — packed with sumo stables and chanko-nabe restaurants, so it's worth arriving early and making a full day of it. Morning sessions, when the lower-ranked wrestlers compete, are quiet and a relaxed way to learn sumo's rituals before the crowds build for the afternoon's marquee bouts.
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Planning around the sumo calendar? All six 2027 tournaments, seat types and how ticket sales work: Grand Sumo 2027 — full schedule & tickets.
Good to know for visitors
- Getting there
- A 1-minute walk from the West Exit of JR Ryogoku Station on the Sobu Line; also served by the Toei Oedo subway. Open directions in Google Maps ↗
- Booking & entry
- Check tickets and details on the official page (button above).
- Paying
- Tickets required. Arena chair seats start from around ¥3,000; traditional box (masu) seats and ringside cost more. Purchase through the official Japan Sumo Association site.. 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, groups of friends
Good to know
The neighborhood is packed with sumo stables and chanko-nabe restaurants — make a day of it. Morning lower-division bouts are quiet and a relaxed way to learn the rituals before the crowds arrive.
Frequently asked questions
- When is Aki Basho (September Grand Sumo Tournament) 2026?
- September 13 to 27, 2026, at Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo. It's the last Tokyo tournament of the year.
- When do Aki Basho 2026 tickets go on sale?
- August 8, 2026. Purchase through the official Japan Sumo Association site.
- How much are Aki Basho tickets?
- Arena chair seats start from around ¥3,000; traditional box (masu) seats and ringside cost more.
- How do I get to Ryogoku Kokugikan?
- A 1-minute walk from the West Exit of JR Ryogoku Station on the Sobu Line; the Toei Oedo subway line also serves the area.
Getting there
Ryogoku Kokugikan — 1-3-28 Yokoami, Sumida-ku, Tokyo