UpcomingWhy Do Sumo Wrestlers Throw Salt? Sumo's Rituals Explained
Sumo wrestlers throw salt to purify the ring before a bout. Here's the meaning behind salt-throwing, the shiko foot-stomp and the chirichozu hand-clap.
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Sumo, baseball, F1, football and marathons — Japan's stadiums roar.
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Sumo wrestlers throw salt to purify the ring before a bout. Here's the meaning behind salt-throwing, the shiko foot-stomp and the chirichozu hand-clap.
© Simon Q · CC BY 2.0
UpcomingSports
Tokyo Dome, Japan's largest dome venue, holds up to about 55,000 for concerts (roughly 43,500 for baseball), just minutes from Korakuen and Suidobashi stations in central Tokyo.
Tokyo
© 江戸村のとくぞう · CC BY-SA 4.0
UpcomingSports
To catch the top division at a grand sumo tournament, arrive around 14:00–15:00: makuuchi wrestlers enter the ring (dohyo-iri) about 15:45, top bouts run from ~16:00, and the day always ends by ~18:00 with the bow-twirling ceremony. Keep your seat cushion, mind your bags, and try chanko-nabe.
© Alex · CC BY 2.0
UpcomingSports
<strong>Entry to the Osaka Marathon 2027 is by lottery on osaka-marathon.com.</strong> The general field opens July 28, 2026 (confirmed) and the race runs Sunday, February 28, 2027 over 42.195 km, from near the Osaka Prefectural Government Office to a finish in Osaka Castle Park. Domestic runners apply via RUNNET; overseas runners register through the JTB Sports Station platform.
© PekePON · CC BY-SA 3.0
UpcomingSports
The easiest way to buy sumo tickets is the JSA official English site, sumo.or.jp/EnTicket, which accepts international cards. Tickets go on sale about 5–8 weeks before each of the six 2027 honbasho. Choose ringside tamari-seki, tatami masu boxes, or cheaper chair seats — or try same-day tickets at the door.
© Kimtaro · CC BY 2.0
UpcomingSports
Grand sumo's 2027 season is six 15-day honbasho: Hatsu (Jan 10–24, Tokyo), Haru (Mar 14–28, Osaka), Natsu (May 9–23, Tokyo), Nagoya (Jul 11–25, IG Arena), Aki (Sep 12–26, Tokyo) and Kyushu (Nov 14–28, Fukuoka). Buy on sumo.or.jp/EnTicket; arrive ~14:00 for the top division.
© elmimmo · CC BY 2.0
OfficialUpcoming30AugSports
Japan's only major summer full marathon starts and finishes at Odori Park, using stretches of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic route.
2026/08/30 08:30 SapporoSpectating free; runner entry opens in late March 2026.
© Qiuqizhenghong · CC BY-SA 3.0
OfficialUpcoming13SepSports
Aki Basho 2026 runs Sep 13–27 at Ryogoku Kokugikan. Tickets go on sale Aug 8 — seat prices and how overseas fans can book, explained.
2026/09/13 08:30 TokyoTickets 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.
© Steve Cadman · CC BY-SA 2.0
OfficialUpcoming25OctSports
Yokohama's flagship full marathon starts at Landmark Tower and is the only domestic race that runs on the Bay Expressway.
2026/10/25 08:30 YokohamaFull marathon entry from around ¥18,500; spectating is free.
© Marc Antomattei · CC BY-SA 4.0
OfficialUpcoming8NovSports
The year's final grand sumo tournament fills Fukuoka Kokusai Center for 15 days of ring-entering ceremonies, salt-throwing and thunderous bouts of giants.
2026/11/08 08:30 FukuokaFrom ~¥3,800 (arena seats) to box seats
© davidgsteadman · Public domain
OfficialUpcoming10JanSports
**The Grand Sumo Hatsu Basho 2027 runs January 10–24, 2027 at Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo** — the New Year tournament that opens the sumo calendar. It runs 15 straight days (Sun→Sun); **tickets are required** (buy via the official English site). Arrive by ~14:00–15:00 for the top-division bouts, which always finish by ~18:00.
2027/01/10 08:00 TokyoTickets required (no free entry). Prices vary by day and seat tier; 2027 prices are released with the tournament — confirm on sumo.or.jp. As a rough guide (approximate 2026 prices, as of July 2026): ringside tamari-seki ~¥20,000/person; masu-seki tatami boxes ~¥9,000–15,000/person by tier and day; Western chair seats from ~¥3,500 (tier C, weekday) up to ~¥11,000+ (SS). On-sale is typically 5–8 weeks before — check the official site for the exact 2027 date.
© Creazilla · CC0
OfficialUpcoming21FebSports
Kyoto Marathon 2027 runs Feb 21, sending 16,000 runners past Kinkaku-ji, Ginkaku-ji and five more UNESCO sites before finishing at Heian-jingu Shrine.
2027/02/21 09:00 KyotoMarathon entry ¥18,500 (Kyoto residents) / ¥19,500 (other domestic) / ¥35,000 (overseas); pair-ekiden ¥34,000/pair; wheelchair race ¥3,000. Spectating is free.
© Jean-Pierre Dalbéra · CC BY 2.0
OfficialUpcoming28FebSports
Osaka Marathon 2027 is set for Sunday, 28 February 2027. Entry is confirmed and open: the general field runs 28 July - 28 August 2026 (lottery, cap 28,420). Here's what's confirmed, how the lottery works, the ¥16,000 fee and the Osaka Castle finish.
2027/02/28 09:00 OsakaPaid, lottery entry; the full-marathon fee is around ¥16,000 (spectating is free).
© Type specimen · CC BY-SA 3.0
OfficialUpcoming7MarSports
Tokyo Marathon 2027 runs March 7: entry fee, the Aug 14–28 lottery window, the course, and how overseas runners enter via lottery, charity, or tour packages.
2027/03/07 09:10 TokyoFree
© nakashi from Chofu, Tokyo, JAPAN · CC BY-SA 2.0
OfficialUpcoming14MarSports
**The 2027 Grand Sumo Haru Basho (Spring Tournament) runs March 14–28, 2027 at EDION Arena Osaka (Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium), about a 5-minute walk from Namba.** It is the only one of the six annual tournaments held in Osaka — 15 straight days of top-division sumo, Sunday to Sunday.
2027/03/14 08:30 OsakaApproximate 2026 prices; 2027 prices are released with each tournament — confirm on sumo.or.jp (as of July 2026). Rough per-person ranges: ringside tamari-seki around ¥20,000; masu-seki tatami boxes around ¥9,000–15,000 by tier and day; Western chair seats from about ¥3,500 (tier C, weekday) up to ¥11,000+ (SS). A limited number of same-day chair seats (tojitsu-ken) are sold at the box office each morning, first-come, if seats remain.
© No machine-readable author provided. Peter 111 assumed (based on copyright claim · CC BY-SA 3.0
OfficialUpcoming14MarSports
The world's largest women-only marathon, where every finisher is handed a Baccarat crystal tumbler by a tuxedoed attendant at the Nagoya Dome.
2027/03/14 09:10 NagoyaPaid, lottery entry (spectating is free).
© Chris 73 · CC BY-SA 3.0
OfficialUpcoming26MarSports
F1 returns to legendary Suzuka — the figure-eight circuit drivers and fans rate among the greatest in the world.
2027/03/26 09:00 NagoyaThree-day tickets vary by grandstand; general admission is the most affordable
© Pksois23 · CC0
OfficialUpcoming9MaySports
**The Grand Sumo Natsu Basho (Summer Tournament) runs May 9–23, 2027 at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo** — a 15-day honbasho, Sunday to Sunday, and one of only three Tokyo tournaments each year. Tickets sell via the official English site sumo.or.jp/EnTicket; arrive around 14:00–15:00 for the top division (the day ends by ~18:00).
2027/05/09 08:30 TokyoTickets required. Arena chair seats start from around ¥3,000; box (masu) seats and ringside cost more. Purchase via the official Japan Sumo Association ticket site.
© Gregg Tavares · CC BY 2.0
OfficialUpcoming11JulSports
**The 2027 Grand Sumo Nagoya Basho runs July 11–25, 2027 at IG Arena (IGアリーナ), Nagoya's new arena that opened in July 2025.** It's a 15-day tournament; the top-division bouts run each afternoon and always finish by about 6:00pm. Tickets go on sale roughly 5–8 weeks ahead via the official English site.
2027/07/11 08:00 NagoyaPaid, ticketed. Prices are set per tournament; 2027 figures are released with the Nagoya basho. For scale (approximate 2026 prices, as of July 2026): ringside tamari-seki around ¥20,000 per person; masu-seki tatami boxes about ¥9,000–15,000 per person by tier and day; chair (isu-seki) seats from about ¥3,500 (tier C, weekday) up to ¥11,000+ (SS). Confirm the exact 2027 prices on sumo.or.jp.
© elmimmo · CC BY 2.0
OfficialUpcoming12SepSports
**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.
2027/09/12 08:00 TokyoPaid, 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.
© Mila Lai · CC BY-SA 2.0
OfficialUpcoming14NovSports
**Grand Sumo's Kyushu Basho 2027 runs Nov 14–28, 2027 at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center**, the year's sixth and final honbasho. Fifteen days of top-division sumo close the season; the top bouts run roughly 15:45–18:00 daily. Buy via the official English site sumo.or.jp/EnTicket.
2027/11/14 08:00 FukuokaPaid; buy via sumo.or.jp/EnTicket (international cards accepted), Ticket Pia / Lawson / Seven, or resellers (Klook, Viator, GetYourGuide, JTB) at higher prices with English support. Approximate 2026 prices — 2027 prices are released with the tournament, so confirm on the official site (as of July 2026): ringside tamari-seki around ¥20,000/person; masu box seats roughly ¥9,000–15,000/person by tier and day; Western chair seats from about ¥3,500 (tier C, weekday) up to ¥11,000+ (tier SS). Advance sale typically opens 5–8 weeks before; check the official site for the exact 2027 on-sale date.
© Hirho · CC BY-SA 4.0
OfficialPast event28JunSports
Japan's most famous baseball club under the dome — easy, all-weather pro baseball in the heart of Tokyo.
2026/06/28 18:00 TokyoReserved seats from about ¥2,200 to ¥7,000+
© Syced · CC0
OfficialPast event29JunSports
Japan's most passionate baseball crowd — join tens of thousands of Tigers fans for a jet-balloon night at historic Koshien.
2026/06/29 18:00 OsakaOutfield seats from about ¥2,000; infield reserved ¥6,000–¥9,000+
© Yasu (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0
OfficialPast event1JulSports
Catch Japan's top-flight football — choreographed ultras, family-friendly stands and clubs in nearly every city.
2026/07/01 14:00 TokyoTickets typically ¥2,000–¥6,000
© Mr.ちゅらさん · CC BY 4.0
OfficialPast event12JulSports
Sumo's summer tournament moves into Nagoya's brand-new IG Arena for the first time — fifteen days of top-division bouts in a gleaming 17,000-seat venue.
2026/07/12 08:30 NagoyaTickets required. Arena chair seats start from about ¥3,500; ringside and box (masu) seats cost more. Buy via the official Japan Sumo Association ticket site.
© Simon Q · CC BY 2.0