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Save a placeOsaka hosts the March basho, a fortnight of ranked bouts at EDION Arena in Namba. The 2026 edition is over; the 2027 edition runs from March 14 to 28. Here is how a tournament day runs and which day suits you.
Editorial team, osakasumo.top · Updated November 6, 2026 · Quick read: 7 min
Basics
- 2026 datesThe March 2026 tournament ran from March 8 to March 22 at EDION Arena Osaka.1
- 2027 datesThe next one runs from March 14 to March 28, 2027, with sales from February 6.2
- The venueThe arena is the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, also known as EDION Arena, in Namba.3
- A day's rhythmIn 2026 the doors opened at 8:45 and the top division started around 2 p.m.4
- March weatherAverage highs reach 13.1 °C and lows 4 °C in March.5
The March basho in Osaka, year by year
Grand sumo holds six tournaments a year, and Osaka is the one that falls in March. The Japan Sumo Association's calendar puts the 2026 edition at EDION Arena Osaka, the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, from March 8 to March 22, with advance tickets on sale from February 7.1 If you read about a sumo osaka march 2026 trip today, you are reading about an event that has already finished.
The next one is the one to plan for. The 2027 tournament starts on March 14 and ends on March 28, and advance tickets go on sale on February 6, 2027.2 The ranking list is announced on March 1, which is two weeks before the first day. The calendar is already published for the year after: the 2028 tournament runs from March 12 to March 26.6
Each edition starts on a Sunday and ends on a Sunday, so the first weekend and the last weekend both fall inside the run. That matters for ticket prices, because the official lists charge more for weekends and holidays than for weekdays, and a later section looks at what the gap amounts to.7
The March dates
Three Osaka tournaments side by side
| Year | Tournament dates | Advance sales from | Ranking list |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | March 8 to 22 | February 7 | February 24 |
| 2027 | March 14 to 28 | February 6 | March 1 |
| 2028 | March 12 to 26 | February 5 | February 28 |
All at EDION Arena Osaka (the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium), from the Japan Sumo Association's schedule.1,2,6
Where March sits among the six tournaments
The national tourism organization describes the year as six tournaments, or basho, with events in Osaka in March, Nagoya in July and Fukuoka in November alternating with the three tournaments in Tokyo.9 In the 2027 calendar, January runs from the 10th to the 24th in Tokyo, followed by Osaka, then May 9 to 23 and September 12 to 26 in Tokyo.10,11,12
The other two venues complete the year. The July tournament runs from July 11 to 25, 2027 at IG Arena in Nagoya, and the November one runs from November 14 to 28 at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center.13,14 A traveler with a flexible calendar can see sumo in a different city in each of those months, which is part of the appeal for people who plan a Japan trip around the sport.
Osaka has its own character. The tourism organization says the arena seats approximately 10,000 and stands in the Namba district, in the center of the city, and that loud cheering for wrestlers from the Kansai region is to be expected.15 If you want a tournament that feels like a local event in a big city, March is that one.
March in Osaka
Month by month: sun, rain and what March feels like
- Jan13.9 h
- Feb13.1 h
- Mar12.1 h
- Apr11.0 h
- May10.1 h
- Jun9.5 h
- Jul9.7 h
- Aug10.5 h
- Sep11.6 h
- Oct12.6 h
- Nov13.6 h
- Dec14.1 h
Hours without sunlight at mid-month alongside days with 2.5 mm or more of precipitation. NOAA records, station Osaka (rainfall) and Kobe (temperatures), 1971 to 2020.5
A tournament day at EDION Arena, hour by hour
For the March 2026 tournament Ticket Oosumo said the arena opened at 8:45, with the last days opening later, and that matches start in the morning and finish around 6 p.m.4 The national tourism organization gives a similar frame, matches from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. every day.19 A single ticket covers the whole day, and you may enter and leave whenever you like, with one re-entry allowed before 17:00.4
The day builds in importance. The tourism organization notes that matches increase in significance as the day progresses, so more and more people pour into the arena as the afternoon wears on.20 The main matches of the top-division wrestlers start around 2 p.m. according to the ticket service, while the tourism organization suggests arriving around 15:00 to see the top division between 15:30 and 18:00.4,8 The sources differ by about an hour, so take the earlier time if you want a margin.
Seeing a sumo match in Osaka is a matter of picking your hours well, and the shape of the day gives you three ways to spend a ticket. You can arrive at the opening for the young wrestlers and the full atmosphere, you can time a mid-afternoon arrival for the top division, or you can do both with a break outside in between. Whichever you pick, the plan tool at the top of this page lets you set your arrival time and see what you would catch.
Pick your day
Which day should you choose?
Find your situation; the answer sits next to it
If I want the cheapest ticket
A weekday chair
A grade C chair costs 3,500 yen on a weekday and 4,000 on weekends and holidays.17
If I only care about the top rank
Mid-afternoon
Top-division matches start around 2 p.m., and the tourism organization says 15:30 to 18:00.4,8
If I want the full atmosphere
Arrive at 8:45
The doors opened at 8:45 in 2026, and a ticket covered the whole day.4
If I travel in July or November
Other cities
Nagoya hosts the July tournament and Fukuoka the November one.9
If I am not sure sumo is for me
A live show first
A show with retired wrestlers explains the rules in about 1.5 hours.
Three ways to see sumo
The tournament, a guided visit or a live show
Guided
Guided tournament visit
A sumo expert beside you
- Length4-hour visit
- GuideEnglish-speaking expert
- GroupUp to 20 guests
Year-round
Live sumo show
Retired wrestlers, any week
- LengthAbout 1.5 hours
- GuideLive, in English
- CancelFree up to 24 hours
Which days to pick
Start with the money. The Japan Sumo Association's approximate prices charge more on weekends and holidays: Masu Box B costs 42,000 yen then and 40,000 yen on weekdays, and a chair in grade B costs 5,500 yen against 5,000 yen.7,17 The gap is small for one chair and larger for a box of four, but it rarely decides a trip on its own.
The final days have a feature worth noting. In 2026 the arena opened later on the last days, at 10:30 on March 20 and 21 and at 10:00 on March 22, so the closing weekend starts more slowly than the first.4 A ticket still covered the full program, so a later opening does not shorten the day you pay for.
Weekdays suit visitors with a flexible schedule, and the weekend suits groups who want the whole family to come along. Children aged 4 and older need their own ticket, and there is no special children's discount, so a family of four pays for four seats.23 If you want a day that is sure to be sold out later, book early and choose the day with the best fit rather than hoping for a cancellation, because purchased tickets cannot be changed.16
A day at the arena
Your tournament day, step by step
8:45
Doors open
For the March 2026 tournament the arena opened at 8:45 on most days.4
Morning
The early bouts
Matches start in the morning and build up through the day.4
Around 14:00
Top division starts
The ticket service said the main matches of the top division start around 2 p.m.4
15:00 to 15:30
Arrive for the top bouts
The tourism organization advises arriving around 15:00 to see the top division from 15:30.8
Before 17:00
Last re-entry
If you stepped out, you had to be back by 17:00.4
Around 18:00
Finish
Matches finish around 6 p.m.4
What you are watching: the ritual and the rules
The national tourism organization sums up the rules plainly. A wrestler wins a bout by forcing the opponent to step outside the ring or by making the opponent touch the ground with any part of the body other than the soles of the feet.24 Professional sumo has six divisions that are not set by weight, so a big, strong wrestler may face a slender but nimble one.25
Before every bout comes a ritual. Each bout is preceded by an elaborate ritual that requires the throwing of purifying salt and a series of bows to the opponent before the wrestlers charge into each other.18 Then the clash itself is quick: many bouts are over in a matter of seconds, while others have been known to go on for several minutes.26 Arrive with that rhythm in mind, a long ritual and a short fight, and the pace of the day makes sense.
The Association calls the ring-entering ceremony of the yokozuna, the highest rank, the highlight of all ring-entering ceremonies and a spectacular expression of the sport's 1,500-year history.27 If you want to see that part, plan to be in your seat for the top division, not only for the early bouts. The ceremony is one more reason to aim for the afternoon rather than the morning.
Video
A day of sumo at Edion Arena in Osaka
Itsume Morio on YouTube · Video data is requested only when you tap play.
Each bout is preceded by an elaborate ritual that requires the throwing of purifying salt and a series of bows to their opponent before they charge into each other.
March weather and what to wear
March in Osaka is cool. NOAA's averages for 1971 to 2020 give a mid-March daily high of 13.1 °C and a daily low of 4 °C, with 7 days of at least 2.5 mm of precipitation and 94 mm of precipitation in the month.5 The rainfall comes from the Osaka station 2.8 km from our show venue, and the temperatures come from the Kobe station 26.2 km away, so read the numbers as the city's climate, not the arena's.5
Dress in layers. A tournament day can run from 8:30 to around 18:00, and the walk between Namba station and the arena, then the long sit, make for a mix of cold air outside and warm bodies inside.19 A light jacket you can fold under the seat is better than a heavy coat that has to stay on your lap. Floor boxes also need socks, because you remove your shoes before you sit on the cushions.22
Daylight is no problem. At mid-March the sun is above the horizon for 11.9 hours, so a long tournament day can still end in the last of the light.5 If rain is forecast, an umbrella that fits in a small bag will get you from the subway to the door, and the arena itself is the point of the day, so there is little reason to let a wet forecast cancel the plan.
FAQ
The short answers to your questions.
When did the March basho in Osaka run in 2026?
March 8 to 22.
The March 2026 tournament ran from March 8 to March 22 at EDION Arena Osaka (the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium).1
When is the next one in Osaka?
March 14 to 28, 2027.
Advance tickets for the March 2027 tournament go on sale on February 6, 2027, and the ranking list comes out on March 1.2
What time do the top matches start?
Where is the March tournament held?
In Namba.
It is held at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, also known as EDION Arena, in the Namba district.3
Can I leave and come back during the day?
Once.
Re-entry is limited to one time in the ticket service's rules, and you had to return by 17:00 in 2026.4
How cold is Osaka in March?
Cool, with a 13.1 °C high.
NOAA's average daily high is 13.1 °C and the low is 4 °C for March, with 94 mm of precipitation in the month.5
Is there a sumo option outside March?
Yes, shows run all year.
Live shows with retired wrestlers do not depend on the tournament calendar; see the page on shows outside the basho.
Sources
- Japan Sumo Association (official site) · Grand Tournament Schedule ↩
- Japan Sumo Association (official site) · Grand Tournament Schedule ↩
- Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) · Osaka Sumo Tournament ↩
- Ticket Oosumo (the Japan Sumo Association official ticket service) · March Grand Tournament ticket information ↩
- NOAA · Global Summary of the Month, Station Osaka (rainfall) and Kobe (temperatures) (NOAA GHCN JAM00047772 and JA000047770), 1971 to 2020 ↩
- Japan Sumo Association (official site) · Grand Tournament Schedule ↩
- Japan Sumo Association (official site) · How to Buy ↩
- Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) · Osaka Sumo Tournament ↩
- Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) · Experience Sumo ↩
- Japan Sumo Association (official site) · Grand Tournament Schedule ↩
- Japan Sumo Association (official site) · Grand Tournament Schedule ↩
- Japan Sumo Association (official site) · Grand Tournament Schedule ↩
- Japan Sumo Association (official site) · Grand Tournament Schedule ↩
- Japan Sumo Association (official site) · Grand Tournament Schedule ↩
- Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) · Experience Sumo ↩
- Ticket Oosumo (the Japan Sumo Association official ticket service) · March Grand Tournament ticket information ↩
- Japan Sumo Association (official site) · How to Buy ↩
- Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) · Experience Sumo ↩
- Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) · Osaka Sumo Tournament ↩
- Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) · Osaka Sumo Tournament ↩
- Ticket Oosumo (the Japan Sumo Association official ticket service) · March Grand Tournament ticket information
- Ticket Oosumo (the Japan Sumo Association official ticket service) · March Grand Tournament ticket information ↩
- Ticket Oosumo (the Japan Sumo Association official ticket service) · March Grand Tournament ticket information ↩
- Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) · Experience Sumo ↩
- Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) · Experience Sumo ↩
- Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) · Experience Sumo ↩
- Japan Sumo Association (official site) · A day at Jungyo (Provincial Tour) ↩
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