Sumo to stage event in Paris as part of global push

I realize organizers are hoping the upcoming London and Paris exhibitions will whip up excitement to attract sell-out crowds to the domestic tournaments.

However, today it’s virtually impossible to purchase tickets to Japan’s six annual tournaments without paying to join the sumo fan club and then entering its pre-tournament lottery or paying a significant markup to a tour operator. One of NHK’s long-time English commentators was lamenting this sad fact the other day. 

The tour operators are taking many tickets and then repackaging/reselling those tickets at higher prices to tourists, thus making tickets less available at their original face value to local residents. 

There is a general sale of tickets, but all those for all 15 days are sold in the first 30 minutes through online distributors, like Ticket Pia, which are virtually impossible to access because of the flood of traffic in those 30 minutes.

It’s also sad to see sumo tournaments being used as “brief cultural stops.” At a tournament in Tokyo last year, I witnessed 50 non-Japanese enter together with a guide at 16:00 and then depart together at 17:00, which is an hour before the end of the day’s bouts. That hour is when all the top matches occur! There are so many true fans of sumo who would love to have those unused seats.

Moreover, because seats are being hoarded by tour operators selling at higher prices to overseas tourists, many seats are actually going unused. At every sold-out tournament, batches of empty seats can be seen everywhere, particularly in the second tier of Tokyo’s Kokugikan. The Japan Sumo Association drops the “full house” banner every day, but the Association also asserts the venue needs to be “only about 85% full” for the banner to be dropped.

I realize the Association’s desire to maximize profits, but Japan’s residents partially subsidize the Association through the broadcast-rights contract with NHK, a public media funded by mandatory fees received from TV viewers. 

Don’t know what the answer is, but some ticket-distribution reform appears to be needed.

Their org has hunted down every highlights reel on every platform for years. All while being unwilling to put out one of their own in a timely fashion. They have nothing but disdain for foreign fans.

Just another drawback of overtourism

nothing to do but live with it

in the old days you could go on the day and get seats in the last row of the upper deck.

Their org has hunted down every highlights reel on every platform for years. All while being unwilling to put out one of their own in a timely fashion.

NHK uploads videos (in Japanese) of each bout minutes after it occurs. Link below.

https://www.nhk.jp/p/ts/Z8WRRJ9K96/blog/bl/p781bLebx4/

As asiaman7 said, it became impossible to get ticket.

An A seat (8500 yens) pair ticket for last day of tournamenr were sold almost 100 000 yens!

Big mistake.

This is so wrong.

Sumo is one of few sports that leaves its athletes with life-long illness and early death unless massive weight loss is taken after the retirement.

You don't have athlete health problem with other traditional wrestling, such as Mongolian, Turkish, and Korean that produce fit and muscular wrestlers that men would be envious of in terms of physique.

Sumo must not be internationalized unless its form is changed to produce fit and strong athletes who are Olympics worthy.

"Global push" seems appropriate, although it could also be a "global throw" or "global slapdown," depending on the sumo technique.

However, today it’s virtually impossible to purchase tickets to Japan’s six annual tournaments without paying to join the sumo fan club and then entering its pre-tournament lottery or paying a significant markup to a tour operator. One of NHK’s long-time English commentators was lamenting this sad fact the other day. 

That's unfortunate. I used to live relatively close to the prefectural gymnasium where one of the major bashos was held, and I'd always first go in the early morning when there was nobody there (technically speaking you weren't supposed to sit in any seat that wasn't your own, but at that time of the morning they rarely enforced it) and then come back mid-afternoon for the upper divisions. Never had trouble obtaining a ticket.

Sumo live is absolutely nothing like watching it on TV. TV doesn't convey the size of those dudes. I also used to go and see a "beya" (training stable) in my general vicinity, and the wrestlers would be wandering around the area. Talk about dauntingly big guys.

Good to see Sumo increasing its global presence. The number of non-Japanese faces at every basho shows there is definitely huge interest worldwide in the sport and tradition.

Only a decade or so ago a few people were bemoaning the "waning interest" in Sumo - boy, were they wrong!

I think the Paris and London tournaments will be very popular and most likely will sell out. If they can generate enough interest to sign some TV deals in Europe so the Grand Tournaments can be broadcast to more people, even better.

Only a decade or so ago a few people were bemoaning the "waning interest" in Sumo - boy, were they wrong!

Three decades ago, sold-out sumo tournaments were common.

Now, about 15 years ago, sponsors were pulling out of tournaments, but that was because a gambling and ticket scandal. Info in the AP article below.

—

Scandal slams sumo tournament broadcast

NHK cancels live broadcast over illegal gambling

BY GAVIN J BLAIR, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

JULY 6, 2010

TOKYO — Pubcaster NHK is to cancel live broadcasts of the Nagoya Sumo tournament that begins July 11, due to a scandal involving wrestlers and trainers betting large amounts of money in illegal gambling on baseball games through a syndicate run by the Japanese mob.

Sponsors have already pulled out of the tournament, and a high-ranking wrestler and his trainer have been banned from the centuries-old sport for life. Eighteen other wrestlers have been suspended for the tournament, and dozens of officials and trainers punished for gambling on professional baseball through bookmakers linked to yakuza crime organizations.

NHK has received more than 11,000 phone calls over the issue and is pulling live coverage for the first time, though it will still show a highlights digest program.

“Although more than 60% of the messages we received were in favor of not showing the tournament, there were still a lot of people who supported it being broadcast, and many others who are looking forward to watching it,” NHK spokesperson Marina Iwamura told The Hollywood Reporter. “That’s why the decision to stop the live broadcast but show the digest program was taken.”  

NHK is sumo’s biggest benefactor through its buying of exclusive broadcast rights, although the pubcaster doesn’t disclose how much it pays for them.

In a separate scandal at the end of May, an entire sumo training stable was disbanded after tickets for VIP ringside seats found their way into the hands of senior members of the largest Japanese yakuza gang, the Yamaguchi-gumi.

The gangsters are believed to have wanted to sit ringside as a show of solidarity for an imprisoned gang boss, who would have been able to see them during the tournament broadcast on NHK, which they are permitted to watch in jail.

It is interesting to see it once. I went and sat in the front seats and then went to the back when the rich customers arrived. I haven’t watched it at all since. For people thinking it will become an international spectator sport, I don’t believe this will ever happen. It is popular for tourists, so I say don’t discriminate against foreign visitors who are helping to fund the sport.

If Sumo goes international, watch it chane and get watered down and cheapened. Look what happened to judo. This will be much worse.

There is an international sumo federation that allows competitions for both men and women.

the sumo in Japan is operated by the Japan Sumo Association and is steeped in tradition.

Women aren’t even allowed to stand on the dohyo let alone compete.

if these overseas tours help promote the sport it’s fine but don’t expect the JSA to change its ways.

Great for both France and Japan.

That hour is when all the top matches occur!

Generally speaking. The top- ranked rikishi are featured during that slot, but the top matches are not necessarily held then: today's (1/20) bout between one-loss Takerufuji and undefeated Kinpozan, Maegashira 11 and 14, respectively, is an example. In the post- Hakuho era this is thankfully less uncommon.

Great..

Good for Sumo..

Good for Japan..