Getting into a grand sumo tournament used to be easy: you queued at dawn for a cheap same-day seat. Those days are over, at least in Fukuoka. Since the post-pandemic boom in sumo’s popularity, the Kyushu Basho sells out in weeks — the 2025 edition was sold out by the end of September — and the 2026 tournament has no same-day tickets at all. Here is how tickets work, what to do when your date is gone, and the traps to avoid.
Option 1: official tickets (Ticket Oosumo)
All seats for the Kyushu Basho are sold by the Japan Sumo Association. The sale happens in two stages:
- Lottery presales (August – early September): first for members of the association’s fan club, then for registered users of Ticket Oosumo (28–31 August 2026) and Ticket Pia (4–7 September 2026). You apply, then wait for the draw.
- General sale: first come, first served, from 19 September 2026 at 10:00 Japan time. Seat types that sold out in the presales are not offered again.
During the general sale you can buy on Ticket Oosumo (English interface, payment by credit card, collection at a 7-Eleven in Japan), on Ticket Pia, at any 7-Eleven terminal in Japan (no registration but no seat choice), or by phone in Japanese until two days before the bout. Online sales close at 17:00 on the day itself, so a seat released at the last minute can still be bought from your phone.
Option 2: a tour with a ticket included
When the official calendar is all crosses, travel agencies are the realistic route. They secure blocks of seats ahead of the sale and sell them with a service — a guide, commentary, a booklet, help at the entrance. On GetYourGuide, four products currently include a Kyushu Basho ticket:
Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament Viewing Tour
Best overall- Duration: about 4 h
- Price: from about $108 per person
- Seats: chair S, chair B/C or masu box C
- Rating: 4.8/5 (14 reviews)
Run by H.I.S., one of Japan’s largest travel agencies. You meet the guide near the Kokusai Center, enter together and watch from your chosen seat category while the guide comments the bouts live through an audio system with earphones. Included: the official banzuke and an English booklet, « The SUMO ». Free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Note that in a box seat you may share the box with other guests.
Check availability on GetYourGuide →Entry to the Grand Sumo Tournament
Most flexible- Duration: full day
- Price: from about $99 per person (varies a lot by date)
- Guide: none
- Cancellation: non-refundable
A pure ticket product from Nippon Tickets: you pick your day and enjoy the tournament at your own pace, coming and going as you like. The cheapest way in once the official sale is sold out, but read the conditions carefully — it cannot be refunded.
Check availability on GetYourGuide →Watch Sumo Tournament and Visit Sumo Spots
Tournament + city- Duration: about 4.5 h
- Price: from about $127 per person
- Seats: box seat subject to availability
An English-speaking guide meets you in front of the Kokusai Center, takes you inside and, depending on the day, shows you the places linked to sumo around the venue. Fewer reviews than H.I.S. so far.
Check availability on GetYourGuide →Grand Sumo Tournament Tour with Local Guide & Tickets
Premium- Duration: 2 h with the guide, then free
- Price: from about $633 per person
- Group: up to 3 per booking
A local guide explains history, ranks and rituals before you go in and helps you through the entrance; you then watch alone from a reserved seat. Expensive, but often the last option on the busiest days.
Check availability on GetYourGuide →We compare these tours in detail — what is included, who they suit, the catches — in our guide to the best Fukuoka sumo tours.
Option 3: a sumo experience without a tournament ticket
If no ticket fits your dates or budget, you can still see real sumo in Fukuoka. During the tournament weeks, some stables let visitors watch their morning training — read our guide to morning sumo practice in Fukuoka. And all year round, a sumo show with a chanko-nabe lunch lets you see wrestlers in action from a few metres away and even step into the ring.
Resale tickets: why we advise against them
Resale sites, Japanese and international, list Kyushu Basho tickets at several times their face value. The Japan Sumo Association’s spectator terms prohibit the resale of tickets, and under those terms a resold ticket can be invalidated. You risk being refused entry with no refund. Tickets bought from a travel agency as part of a tour are a different case: the agency is the organiser and the ticket is part of a service.
Children, wheelchairs and special tickets
- Children aged 4 and over need their own ticket. Younger children can sit on an adult’s lap. Ringside seats are reserved for ages 16 and over.
- Wheelchair users: dedicated spaces are sold by phone only, from 22 October 2026 (¥10,000 for the user and one companion, any day). Wheelchairs cannot be used in the box seats, and most guided tours are not wheelchair-accessible.
- Kids/senior box vouchers: discounted four-person boxes when the group includes a child aged 15 or under or a person over 60.
Already planning for 2027?
The 2027 Kyushu Basho is scheduled for 14–28 November 2027, with the official advance sale on 18 September 2027; presale lotteries usually run from mid-August. Put a reminder in your calendar, decide on your day before the sale, and have your Ticket Oosumo account ready. See all dates in our sumo tournament calendar.
Read also:Seats and prices at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center
Frequently asked questions
When do Kyushu Basho tickets go on sale?
For 2026, the general sale opened on 19 September 2026 at 10:00 Japan time, after lottery presales from mid-August. For 2027 the advance sale is scheduled for 18 September 2027.
Can I buy sumo tickets on the day in Fukuoka?
No. In 2026 the official site states there is no same-day sale at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center and no unreserved seating.
Are sumo tour tickets on GetYourGuide legitimate?
Yes. They are sold by travel agencies such as H.I.S. as packages including a ticket and a service. Check the inclusions and the cancellation policy of each product.
How many tickets can I buy?
Limits depend on the seat type and sales channel; boxes are sold per box (2, 3 or 4 people). Group tours usually limit bookings to a few people to keep seats together.
Are Fukuoka sumo tickets refundable?
Official tickets are generally not refundable. Many guided tours offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before, but some ticket-only products are non-refundable.
Affiliate disclosure: this guide contains affiliate links to GetYourGuide. If you book through them we earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Prices are indicative and were checked at the time of writing — the live price on the booking page always prevails.