Every year around mid-July Nagoya hosts the Grand Summer Sumo Tournament, called Nagoya Basho, one of the six major Sumo tournaments held in Japan.
Join a knowledgeable local guide in the arena and watch thrilling fights with insightful explanations about Sumo traditions, moves, and wrestlers.
The dates for this year’s Nagoya Grand Tournament are from July 14, 2024, to July 28, 2024.
ALL SOLD OUT. This tour is no longer available.
27,995 yen/person, chair seats
35,495 yen/person, box seats (closer to the ring)
*Minimum 2 people per booking
Private Experience
Nagoyajo Station (Google Maps) Exit 7 on the Subway Meijo Line.
Dolphins Arena (the Sumo venue) (Google Maps)
14:00 – 18:00 (4 hours)
The Sumo Tournament Experience is a 4-hour experience at an official Basho (Sumo tournament). On this tour, not only will you learn about many ancient Japanese traditions that have been preserved in Sumo culture, (including ritual elements such as the use of salt purification) but also get to cheer on and greet the most famous Sumo wrestlers in Japan as they enter the stadium for their big match.
Once you are inside the stadium, you will head to your seats and learn about the fascinating history and culture of Sumo wrestling and about some of the most famous Sumo wrestlers throughout history and in Japan today. You’ll also have the chance to walk through the Sumo merchandising shops and get a souvenir to remember what will be a truly great experience. Try the energizing Sumo wrestler staple meal, Chanko Nabe stew.
And most exciting of all enjoy the intense matches as part of the roaring crowd and cheer on your favorite Sumo wrestlers along with the dedicated local fans and expert guide who will provide you with explanations throughout.
Meet your host at exit 7 of the Nagoyajo subway station.
After a brief introduction of the host and the experience, you will head to the Dolphins Arena Stadium.
After passing the security check, you will enter the stadium and head to your seats. Once in your seat, your host will explain the history of Sumo and all the things you need to know to fully enjoy your day of Sumo.
To enhance your Sumo experience, you will take a stroll through the stadium, giving you a close-up view of the ring and a chance to appreciate the details of this ancient sport and its venue. You will visit the Sumo merchandising shops and look for your Sumo souvenir.
After visiting the Sumo merchandising shops you will have the opportunity to try Chanko Nabe, a one-pot dish commonly eaten in vast quantities by Sumo wrestlers as part of their weight-gain diet.
Time to go back to your seats to see a real-life Sumo tournament. Your host will introduce the main rules of Sumo and the most common Sumo techniques and explain a match in detail.
Once the last match is finished it is time to leave the stadium. Your host will walk you back to Nagoyajo Station and/or give you directions to your hotel or any other place you want to visit next.
[Children]
*Tickets will also be required for children under the age of 4 or older as they need their own seats.
*Children 3 years and under are free. However, they cannot occupy a seat.
*There is no special discount on children’s.
[Cancel Policy]
– 7+ days before the tour date: refund of tour fees minus tournament ticket price, minus 5% processing fees
– 3 to 6 days before the tour date: 50% refund of tour fees minus tournament ticket price
– 48 hours or less before the tour: no refund of tour fees
As the number of tickets available is limited, we reserve the right to offer you an alternative date if the date you request is unavailable. If we cannot accommodate your request, we will cancel your order and issue a full refund.
Our team of guides has expanded from our co-founders, Lena and Elly, to include passionate Japanese and international guides living in and around Nagoya. Each of our guides loves sharing the unique aspects of Nagoya and its surroundings with travelers from all over the world.
They can’t wait to meet you!
We had a most wonderful time visiting a sumo match with Elly! Their knowledge of the sport was immensely helpful towards understanding the details of what was going on. This extended beyond the ‘what’ and ‘why’s taking place, to extensive knowledge of the wrestlers and why Elly (and therefore we) is cheering for them! We’d strongly recommend this tour to others.
Go Wakatakakage!
My two children, ages 13 and 11, and I attended the Sumo event at the Dolphins Arena. 4 hours flew by between explanations, food, shops and the fights. Without a doubt one of the highlights of the trip to Japan. Elly, our guide, is passionate about her work. 100% recommended experience. (Translated by Google from Spanish)
We attended day 1 of the Nagoya sumo tournament with Elly and it was amazing! Elly shared so much knowledge about the tournament, Nagoya and the wrestlers. What really made it was her passion for the individual wrestlers and giving us information about their style and ranking. We learnt so much! Highly recommend!! It was a really highlight of our stay in Nagoya.
We really enjoyed the Sumo Experience with Mieko san as our guide. Mieko had great knowledge of the sumo wrestlers and the history behind it. We learned much about the sumo tournaments in general, the different levels and specific wrestlers’ popularity and challenges. It was great fun. And we highly recommend this experience.
I decided to plan my own itinerary for a 16 day stay in Japan.
My sports mad husband’s only request was that I give him something to look forward to.
Random Google search led me to Grand Sumo Tournament in Nagoya that coincided with our dates.
We attended day 13 of the Tournament. It totally exceeded our expectation. John couldn’t mask his excitement. Pure Theatre.
Big shout out to our guide Eli from Nagoya is Not Boring. She went above and beyond. John ranks it as his stand out experience of our trip. I am not a big sports fan but it is in my top 3.
