When was the website founded?

We have been in business since late-2008, helping people to buy tickets for the January 2009 tournament.  Our sister website for soccer (football) tickets, JLeagueTickets.com, was launched in 2012.

 Can you get tickets for other events in Japan besides sumo?

Yes, we can buy tickets for some other events in Japan, depending on how the tickets are sold.  Please note that we are not experts in other events, so we cannot give the same level of advice as we do for sumo tickets.  Ask us if you'd like help buying non-sumo tickets.

If you want tickets for another event, please be specific in your request.  Tell us what you want to see, where and when.

Examples of requests we can help you with:

i)  Can you help me to get baseball tickets in Tokyo from July 15th to 20th?

ii)  I want to go to the Ghibli Museum on April 25th.

Examples of requests we cannot help you with:

i)  What other events are on during my time in Japan?

ii)  I want to see an event from November 1st to 10th.  I'm interested in concerts, sports and theatre.




 I know nothing about sumo. Can you recommend some resources to learn the basics?

Yes, try these links:

Beginner's Guide of Sumo (from the Sumo Association)

Sumo (from Wikipedia)

Sumo FAQ




 What is the difference between a 'Box' and an 'Arena' seat, and what is the meaning of 'A', 'B', and 'C'?

Boxes are a Japanese-style seating arrangement.  Depending on which city you're in, there are boxes for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 people.  You get an area of the floor and a cushion to sit on (it is elevated, so visibility isn't a problem).  This is the most 'exotic', but also the most expensive, way to see sumo. Box 'A' are the closest to the ring, then 'B', then 'C'.  Please note that many tourists, especially if they are tall/wide or have back/knee problems, find boxes to be uncomfortable.  If you think this might be a problem for you, you should consider buying Arena seats or a bigger box.  The 2-person Box 'C' and most 2-person Box 'B' in Tokyo; Pair Boxes in Osaka; 2-person Box 'B' and Box 'C' in Nagoya; and 2-person Box 'C' in Fukuoka are full-sized Boxes for 4 people, but are sold for only 2 people, so you get extra space.  Click here for a photo of a Box in the Tokyo arena.

Arena seats are chairs like Western people would be used to from an arena in their country. In Tokyo, the seats are cushioned, more like what you'd expect in a movie theatre.  Arena 'A' are the closest to the ring, then 'B', then 'C'.  Also, Arena 'A' have more cushioning than 'B', which in turn have more than 'C'.

 Can I buy just part of a Box?

No.  If you want to sit in a Box, you have to buy all of the tickets.  However, there's no rule saying that 1 person can't buy an entire 4-person Box, if you want to stretch your legs.

 Why don't you sell the Ringside tickets?

They're just too difficult to get.

 Why don't you sell the General Admission tickets?

They are made available in limited numbers, only on the day of the event.  It is therefore not possible to buy them in advance and send them to you.

 What will you do if I order tickets from you and they're sold-out?

We'll try the following, in order:

i) Buy tickets for the same day at a lower price range that is available.  If this succeeds, we'll refund the excess money in full.

ii) Buy tickets at your requested price range, on your first choice of alternate dates.  If those are also sold-out, we'll try to lower the price range again.  If it's still sold-out, we'll try your next alternate day.

iii) If none of the above succeeds, or you don't wish to select any alternate dates, then we'll give you a complete refund.

*If you want us to try these steps in a different order, for example, to try the alternate dates before trying to lower the price range, please tell us when you order!

 Will I be able to see from the back section?

Yes.  The sumo arenas are not as big as many basketball or hockey arenas in Western countries.  Even the back row has adequate visibility, although you'll definitely want to wear your glasses/contacts!

 Can I bring children?  Is there a discount?

Yes, children can watch sumo.  For the 6 major tournaments, children 3 years old or younger can enter for free if they sit on an adult's lap.  Some of the special events have different policies for children's prices, so please ask about these.

Many of the events now have Family Tickets, which give a discount for families or groups with children.

 Is the venue wheelchair-accessible?

Yes, sumo venues are wheelchair-accessible.  Contact us for details about special wheelchair tickets.




 What is a pre-order?

A pre-order is when you make an order before ticket sales begin.  If you pre-order, we will buy your tickets as soon as sales open.  Please note that a pre-order does not mean you will receive your tickets sooner.  We must wait until the first day of sales before we can buy and ship your order.

 What if I pre-order tickets, then change my plans or want to cancel completely?

If you pre-order, you are free to change your plans or ask for a refund, as long as you notify us by 7:00AM Japan time on the first day of actual ticket sales (please try to notify us at least 48 hours before the on-sale date).  If tickets are on sale, it's too late for any changes.

 Does a pre-order guarantee tickets?  Why should I pre-order?

A pre-order does not guarantee tickets, but it comes pretty close.  When you pre-order, it means that we will attempt to buy your tickets as soon as they go on sale.  We can only buy them when they become available to the general public nationwide, so there are no guarantees.  However, even on high-demand days, tickets rarely sell so quickly that there is a danger of your preferred day being sold-out, if you pre-order.

Another benefit of a pre-order is that you will probably get a good seat, even on high-demand days.  Pre-orders for arena seats often result in tickets in the first row of that section.  Boxes are a different story, as they sell at a higher speed.  If you want a box on a high-demand day, it can be difficult, but a pre-order could make the difference between getting one, or having to downgrade to Arena seats.

The highest-demand day is typically the final day of the tournament.  If you want a ticket on this day, we strongly recommend that you pre-order!




 How do you accept payment?

We accept payment via Paypal by credit card, your Paypal balance, or bank account.  Customers who have a Japanese bank account can also pay by domestic bank transfer (furikomi).

 Do I need a Paypal account to pay you?

No.  You only need a Paypal account if you want to pay from your bank account.  If you'd like to pay by credit card, Paypal allows you to do that without making an account with them.




 How do I track my shipment?

We'll send you a tracking number by email.  For international shipments, click here.  For shipments within Japan click here.  Then enter the tracking number.

 Can you send my tickets to my hotel in Japan?

Yes, of course!  We'll need 4 things from you:

1.  The hotel name
2.  The hotel address
3.  Your arrival date
4.  The name the reservation was made in

This should help to ensure that the hotel holds the mail.  Please note that some hotels have told us they don't hold mail for customers who don't have a reservation.  So we highly recommend reserving before you tell us to send your tickets to the hotel!

Our standard procedure is to hold the tickets at our office, then send them a few days before you arrive at your hotel.  This makes sure that the hotel doesn't have to hold them for very long.

 Can I pick-up my tickets at your office or at the venue on the day of the event?

Sorry, no.  We can't support any kind of ticket pick-up.

 When will you ship?

For pre-orders shipped internationally or to a home address in Japan, we'll ship within days of the start of actual ticket sales.

For regular orders (orders placed after actual ticket sales begin) shipped internationally or to a home address in Japan, we'll ship within days of your payment being received.

Orders shipped to hotels will be shipped a few days before your arrival so that they are at the reception desk when you check-in.

*Some orders, such as Box tickets for Nagoya in July and special event tickets, can take up to 3 weeks to arrive at our office, so this will delay shipping.

 How long does shipping take?

Shipping to international destinations takes about 3-5 days to arrive.  Shipping within Japan takes about 1 day to Tokyo and 2 days to Osaka or Kyoto.

 Does my shipment need to be signed for when it's delivered?

Yes, it does.  If you're shipping to your hotel in Japan, the hotel will sign for you.

 Do you ship to PO Boxes?

Sorry, no we don't.

 I'm also ordering soccer tickets from JLeagueTickets.com.  Can you combine shipping?

Yes, just ask!




 What is the day's schedule, and what time should I arrive at the arena?

*The following information is only for the six 15-day major tournaments in the year.  One-day special events will have different schedules.

Tickets are valid for the entire day, but you can arrive and leave at any time you want.  Most people choose to arrive at about 2:30-3:30.  The approximate times are in the table below:

	Days 1-12	Days 13-14	Day 15
Lower division matches begin	8:40AM	10:30AM	10:30AM
Second-division entrance ceremony	2:30PM	2:30PM	1:45PM
Top-division entrance ceremony	3:45PM	3:45PM	3:00PM
Matches end	6:00PM	6:00PM	5:15PM
Trophy presentation	-	-	5:30PM

 How do I get to the arena?

In Tokyo, take the Sobu line (also called the Chuo line) to Ryogoku Station.  It's 2 stops, about 5 minutes, east of Akihabara Station.  Then follow the signs and crowds. If you want more help with the train, including directions from any station, we highly recommend this useful website.  Enter Ryogoku as your destination station.  You can also check this link, which is the Sumo Association's information on the arena.

For Osaka, check this link from the Sumo Association.  If you want more help with the train, including directions from any station, we highly recommend this useful website.

For Nagoya, check this link from the Sumo Association.  If you want more help with the train, including directions from any station, we highly recommend this useful website.

For Kyushu, check this link from the Sumo Association.  If you want more help with the train, including directions from any station, we highly recommend this useful website.

 Can I leave and re-enter the arena during the day?

Yes.  The official policy is that you can re-enter once.

 Can I take photos?  What about flash?

You can do whatever you want with your camera, as long as you're doing it from your seat.  If you try to get into the aisles or stomp on people to get photos, the ushers will ask you to sit down, or maybe even ask you to leave if you continue to misbehave.  Also, this assumes your camera is a regular consumer camera.  If you have professional video equipment, that could be a problem.

 Can I bring food and drink into the venue?

Yes and no, we aren't really sure.  We think that the official policy is no, you cannot bring food and drink.  But people (including us) regularly bring their own food to sumo.

 Is there an English program or commentary during the event?

Yes, for regular tournaments.  At 4:00PM (30 minutes earlier on the final day of a tournament), an English radio broadcast begins in the venue.  You can either bring your own small radio with headphones (ask staff for the frequency), or you can rent one at the venue.  The cost for rental is 100 yen, plus a 2,000 yen deposit that is refunded to you when you return the radio.




 What is your return policy?

Unfortunately, we cannot accept returns.  This is because we don't carry a stock of tickets, instead we buy all tickets upon customer request.  Once we buy the tickets for you, we can't return them to the box office, therefore you can't return them to us.  Please be sure before you buy.  In some cases we have helped customers to re-sell their tickets to another customer if they can't use them, but we can't guarantee this will be possible.

 What is your privacy policy for handling my personal information?

We will never share your email address or other personal information.  We won't share it with business partners, friends, spammers, or anybody else.  It's as simple as that.  As for your credit card information, we'll never even see it because we process all payments through Paypal.

 What is your policy if an event is canceled?

Event cancellations are extremely rare.  Please see our Terms and Conditions.