Sumo 2026

Grand sumo holds six official tournaments each year, known as honbasho, each running for 15 days. The 2026 calendar follows its traditional pattern: the Hatsu Basho in January and Natsu Basho in May are held at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, alongside the Aki Basho in September. The Haru Basho in March takes place at EDION Arena Osaka, while the Kyushu Basho in November is held at Fukuoka Kokusai Center in Fukuoka.

The 2026 Nagoya Basho in July is the second honbasho held at the IG Arena, officially known as Aichi International Arena. The arena, designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and opened in July 2025, holds 17,000 spectators and replaces the Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium after more than 60 years of service. The new venue features air conditioning, a welcome change from the famously humid conditions that defined the Nagoya tournament at its predecessor.

The home of sumo in Tokyo is Ryogoku Kokugikan, located in the Yokoami neighbourhood of Sumida ward. The arena, which opened in 1985 and seats 11,098, hosts three of the six annual honbasho and is the spiritual center of professional sumo. Adjacent to the arena, a Sumo Museum preserves a wide range of historical materials related to the sport.

The 2025 to 2026 period has seen significant change at the very top of the sport. Terunofuji, the 73rd yokozuna, announced his retirement on January 17, 2025, after chronic knee and back injuries ended his career during the January tournament. His retirement ceremony was held at Ryogoku Kokugikan on January 31, 2026, briefly leaving the sport without any active yokozuna for the first time in roughly 30 years.

That gap closed in May 2025, when ozeki Onosato Daiki was recommended for promotion by the Yokozuna Deliberation Council and formally elevated to the 75th yokozuna by the Japan Sumo Association board on May 28, 2025. At the time of his promotion, the 24-year-old had reached the rank in just 13 professional tournaments, the fastest yokozuna promotion in the modern six-tournament era. He is also the first Japan-born wrestler to become yokozuna since Kisenosato in 2017.

The 2026 season has already produced compelling storylines beyond the question of grand champion succession. At the January 2026 basho, Ukrainian ozeki Aonishiki won his second consecutive Emperor's Cup, defeating Atamifuji in a playoff via a headlock throw (kubinage). Aonishiki, whose given name is Danylo Yavhusishyn, took up sumo in Vinnytsia, Ukraine at age seven and became a national champion at 17 before relocating to Germany and then Japan following Russia's invasion of his country.

Professional sumo is administered by the Japan Sumo Association (Nihon Sumo Kyokai), which operates under the oversight of Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Membership in the Association is tied to holding one of 105 elder shares, known as toshiyori kabu. Since 2014, when the JSA became a Public Interest Incorporated Foundation, formal share sales have been officially prohibited, though shares are still acquired through inheritance or informal arrangements.

Makuuchi bouts begin around 16:00 Japan Standard Time (JST, UTC+9). That translates to 07:00 GMT in London, 02:00 EST in New York, and 17:00 AEST in Sydney. Each honbasho draws intense followings both in Japan and internationally. Major tournaments at Ryogoku Kokugikan typically sell out, with tickets for the best seats often requiring advance purchase of four to six weeks or more.