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Sumo season in Tokyo, month by month
Quick summary
Sumo season in Tokyo means the January, May and September tournaments at Kokugikan, while the Ginza show runs all year except for a few closed days.
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Reserve a spotTokyo hosts a Grand Tournament in only three months of the year, yet there is sumo to see in every one. This guide lays out the tournaments, the tours, the Ginza show nights and the weather so you can choose the month that suits your trip.
Editorial team, ginzasumoshows.com · Updated November 6, 2026 · Read in 6 min
The essentials
- Tokyo tournamentsThree of the six Grand Tournaments are held in Tokyo.1
- Other citiesThe rest are in Osaka in March, Nagoya in July and Fukuoka in November.2,3,4
- Every monthThe Ginza venue holds shows daily except a few closed days.5
- ToursThe Jungyo provincial tour travels in April, August, October and December.6
- Next in TokyoThe January 2027 tournament is January 10 to 24.7
Sumo season in Tokyo, in one paragraph
There are six Grand Tournaments a year, and three of them are held in Tokyo.1 The Tokyo ones are at Kokugikan, in January, May and September.7,8,9 A tournament lasts 15 days, so each Tokyo season is a short window rather than a whole month.10
Between those windows the sport does not vanish. Tournaments move to Osaka in March, Nagoya in July and Fukuoka in November, and the Japan Sumo Association's provincial tour travels in April, August, October and December.2,3,4,6 For a traveler staying in Tokyo, the real competition leaves town for the months in between.
The Ginza show fills that gap. The venue holds shows daily except for a few non-performance days a month.5 It is not an official match, as the venue states, but it is the one place you can count on any week of the year.11
The year at a glance
Month, sumo and Tokyo weather
| Month | What sumo offers | Average high |
|---|---|---|
| January | Tokyo tournament, Kokugikan7 | 9.8 degrees18 |
| February | Show nights only | 10.3 degrees18 |
| March | Osaka tournament2 | 13.3 degrees18 |
| April | Provincial tour6 | 18.8 degrees18 |
| May | Tokyo tournament, Kokugikan8 | 23.2 degrees18 |
| June | Show nights only | 25.7 degrees18 |
| July | Nagoya tournament3 | 29.5 degrees18 |
| August | Provincial tour6 | 31.1 degrees18 |
| September | Tokyo tournament, Kokugikan9 | 27.2 degrees18 |
| October | Provincial tour6 | 21.9 degrees18 |
| November | Fukuoka tournament4 | 16.9 degrees18 |
| December | Provincial tour6 | 12.4 degrees18 |
Tournament dates for 2027 from the Japan Sumo Association; weather from the NOAA Tokyo station.7,18
January to March
January is the first Tokyo tournament, at Kokugikan from January 10 to 24, 2027.7 Advance tickets for it go on sale on December 5, 2026, so the planning happens the month before.12 In Tokyo the typical January afternoon is cold, with an average high of 9.8 degrees.18
February has no tournament. It is a quiet month for the sport, with Osaka's advance sales opening on February 6, 2027.2 The Ginza venue keeps its usual rhythm, and the weather is similar to January, with an average high of 10.3 degrees.18
March belongs to Osaka, where the tournament runs from March 14 to 28, 2027 at EDION Arena Osaka.2 If you are in Tokyo that month, the Ginza venue's March 2027 notice lists one closed day, Wednesday, March 17.13 The 17:00 show runs daily otherwise, and the 20:30 show only on listed dates.19,20 Winter evenings in Ginza start early: weekend street hours end at 5 p.m. from October to March, and the Kabukiza evening show starts at 4:30 p.m.14,21
April to June
April is the first provincial tour month, and the tour itself travels to various towns around the country.6 A tour day is a full one: the gates open at 9:00 with morning taiko drumming, the matches for the makushita division and below go first, and the event ends around 3 p.m.22,23,24 The yokozuna ring-entering ceremony is accompanied by a sword-bearer and a dew-sweeper.25 April also moves the Ginza pedestrian street to its longer weekend hours, from noon to 6 p.m. through September.14 The average April high in Tokyo is 18.8 degrees.18
May returns the tournament to Tokyo, at Kokugikan from May 9 to 23, 2027.8 Tickets go on sale on April 10, 2027.8 The average high in May is 23.2 degrees, comfortable for queueing and walking.18
June has no tournament, and it brings rain. The Tokyo station records an average of 169 mm of rain over the month, and 10 wet days.18 With the next tournaments in Nagoya and then Tokyo, a rainy June is the month when an indoor show is the easy choice.
Pick your month
Which month fits your trip?
Match your priority to a time of year
If I want a real tournament
January, May or September
Those three are held in Tokyo.1
If I want the driest weather
December or January
If I want a show without crowds of rain
Any month, check closed days
Shows run daily except a few days a month.5
If I want to see the tour
April, August, October or December
The provincial tour travels in those months.6
If I want a festival on the street
August
The Yukata de Gin-bura Festival is held then.15
July to September
July's tournament is in Nagoya at IG Arena, from July 11 to 25, 2027.3 In Tokyo in July, the show is the sumo on the calendar. The average high in July is 29.5 degrees.18
August is the second provincial tour month, and a Yukata de Gin-bura Festival is held every August on Ginza-dori Street.6,15 The hottest month of the year averages a high of 31.1 degrees, so a cool dining room helps.18 The festival sits on the main street, where selling, events and gatherings are otherwise banned in the pedestrian zone and bicycles must be walked.26
September is the second Tokyo tournament. This year's ran at Kokugikan from September 13 to 27, 2026, and next year's runs from September 12 to 26, 2027, with advance tickets from August 7, 2027.27,9 Sumo in Tokyo in September means this window. The month is also the wettest, with an average of 212 mm of rain.18
The Ginza calendar
Dates that shape a Ginza visit
Dec 5
January tickets open
Advance tickets for the January tournament go on sale.12
Mar 17
Closed day in March
The one regular closed day listed for March 2027.13
April
Longer weekend street
The pedestrian hours stretch to 6 p.m. from April to September.14
August
Gin-bura festival
The Yukata de Gin-bura Festival is held on Ginza-dori Street.15
Oct 8 to Nov 6
Autumn at the venue
A 2026 autumn event with maple-leaf cards and sake cocktails.16
November
Closed Wednesdays
In 2026 the venue closed on the 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th.17
October to December
October is a tour month and a leaf-turning one. The Ginza venue ran an autumn event with maple-leaf message cards, a photo spot, sake cocktails and desserts from October 8 to November 6, 2026.16 Rainfall in October averages 209 mm, and the average high is 21.9 degrees.18
November brings a surprise for anyone expecting sumo in Tokyo in November: Tokyo has no tournament then; the Fukuoka Kokusai Center hosts it, from November 8 to 22, 2026, and from November 14 to 28, 2027, with advance tickets from September 18, 2027.28,4 The Ginza venue was closed on Wednesday the 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th of November 2026.17
December ends the year with the winter tour, and it is the month to buy January tickets, which go on sale on December 5, 2026.6,12 The average December high in Tokyo is 12.4 degrees.18 After the winter tour, the first Tokyo tournament of the new year is only weeks away, at Kokugikan from January 10, 2027.7
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There are six Grand Tournaments a year, of which three are held in Tokyo and one each in Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka
The Ginza street and the season
Weather shapes the evening around the show. In the wettest months the dash from Ginza-itchome Station's exit 10 is only a 1-minute walk to a door on the first basement floor.29,30 In the dry winter months, the street itself is pleasant for a walk before dinner.
On weekends and public holidays the main street is closed to cars. From October to March the hours are noon to 5 p.m., and from April to September they are noon to 6 p.m.14 The evening show starts at 17:00, so on a weekend you can walk the street in the afternoon and be seated in time.19
For a long stay, treat the show as the weekly anchor and fit the tournament around it. If your dates cover a Tokyo tournament, buy tickets early, since in 2024 tickets for all 90 match days sold out for the first time in 28 years.31 If they do not, the Ginza show is the best fit. A tournament day is a full-day affair, starting in the morning with lower-ranked contenders and finishing in early evening with the highest-ranked, so one afternoon there is enough for a taste.32 At the Kokugikan, box seats are generally for a group of four with small cushions, and a table seat with chairs is more comfortable.33
Choosing the month for your trip
If a real tournament is the point, aim for January, May or September, and book as soon as tickets go on sale.1,12 The tournament takes 15 days, so you have a choice of dates.10
If the show is the point, any month works, but check the closed days for yours. November 2026 had four closed Wednesdays, while March 2027 lists one closed day.17,13 The official calendar page is the authority, and it changes every month.
If you are undecided, build the trip around weather. September and October are the rainiest, with averages of 212 and 209 mm, while January and December are the driest.18,18,18,18 The table below lines everything up so that you can scan it in one go.
FAQ
Straight answers to common questions.
Which months have sumo in Tokyo?
Is there sumo in Tokyo in November?
The November tournament is at Fukuoka Kokusai Center, from November 14 to 28, 2027.4
When is the next Tokyo tournament?
It is held at Kokugikan from January 10 to 24, 2027.7
Is there a tournament in March?
It runs at EDION Arena Osaka from March 14 to 28, 2027.2
Does the Ginza show run all year?
Shows run daily except for a few non-performance days a month.5
When are the provincial tours?
The Jungyo provincial tour travels to various locales in those months.6
Which month is wettest in Tokyo?
The NOAA station records an average of 212 mm in September.18
Sources
- Japan Sumo Association · SUMO (Nihon Sumo-Kyokai introduction booklet) ↩
- Japan Sumo Association · Grand Tournament Schedule ↩
- Japan Sumo Association · Grand Tournament Schedule ↩
- Japan Sumo Association · Grand Tournament Schedule ↩
- THE SUMO LIVE RESTAURANT HIRAKUZA GINZA TOKYO (official site) · FAQ ↩
- Japan Sumo Association · A day at Jungyo (Provincial Tour) ↩
- Japan Sumo Association · Grand Tournament Schedule ↩
- Japan Sumo Association · Grand Tournament Schedule ↩
- Japan Sumo Association · Grand Tournament Schedule ↩
- Japan Sumo Association · SUMO (Nihon Sumo-Kyokai introduction booklet) ↩
- THE SUMO LIVE RESTAURANT HIRAKUZA GINZA TOKYO (official site) · FAQ ↩
- Japan Sumo Association · Grand Tournament Schedule ↩
- THE SUMO LIVE RESTAURANT HIRAKUZA GINZA TOKYO (official site) · March 2027 performance schedule ↩
- Ginza Official (Ginza Information Management) · Pedestrian Zone ↩
- Ginza Official (Ginza Information Management) · Pedestrian Zone ↩
- THE SUMO LIVE RESTAURANT HIRAKUZA GINZA TOKYO (official site) · Autumn event Ginza de Dosukoi! Edo Autumn! 2026 ↩
- THE SUMO LIVE RESTAURANT HIRAKUZA GINZA TOKYO (official site) · Notice of November 2026 non-performance days ↩
- NOAA · Global Summary of the Month, Station Tokyo (NOAA GHCN JA000047662), 1971 to 2020 ↩
- THE SUMO LIVE RESTAURANT HIRAKUZA GINZA TOKYO (official site) · March 2027 performance schedule ↩
- THE SUMO LIVE RESTAURANT HIRAKUZA GINZA TOKYO (official site) · March 2027 performance schedule ↩
- Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (GO TOKYO) · Explore around Ginza ↩
- Japan Sumo Association · A day at Jungyo (Provincial Tour) ↩
- Japan Sumo Association · A day at Jungyo (Provincial Tour) ↩
- Japan Sumo Association · A day at Jungyo (Provincial Tour) ↩
- Japan Sumo Association · A day at Jungyo (Provincial Tour) ↩
- Ginza Official (Ginza Information Management) · Pedestrian Zone ↩
- Japan Sumo Association · Grand Tournament Schedule ↩
- Japan Sumo Association · Grand Tournament Schedule ↩
- THE SUMO LIVE RESTAURANT HIRAKUZA GINZA TOKYO (official site) · FAQ ↩
- Ginza Official (Ginza Information Management) · THE SUMO LIVE RESTAURANT HIRAKUZA GINZA TOKYO ↩
- Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (GO TOKYO) · Sumo for the Win ↩
- Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (GO TOKYO) · Sumo for the Win ↩
- Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (GO TOKYO) · Sumo for the Win ↩
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