Practical · Shows
Buying tickets for kabuki, sumo and concerts in Tokyo
Tokyo’s stages sell tickets through their own websites and box offices.
Updated October 2026
Book direct
The safest way to buy is through the venue’s own website or box office. Many sites have English pages; for popular shows, tickets go on sale weeks ahead.
Kabuki at the Kabuki-za
The Kabuki-za in Ginza presents a programme of several acts each day. Single-act tickets (hitomakumi) for the upper gallery are sold at the theatre on the day, so you can see one act without committing to the whole programme; full-programme seats are booked online. English audio and subtitle guides are available.
Grand Sumo at Ryōgoku
Three of the six annual Grand Sumo tournaments are held at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan, in January, May and September, each over fifteen days. Tickets are sold by the Japan Sumo Association about a month before each tournament and sell out quickly at weekends.
Opera, ballet and concerts
The New National Theatre, Tokyo presents opera, ballet, dance and drama; Suntory Hall in Ark Hills and the concert hall of Tokyo Opera City host the city’s orchestras and visiting ensembles; the Takarazuka Revue performs its Tokyo seasons in Hibiya.
The National Theatre
The National Theatre in Hayabusachō closed at the end of October 2023 for rebuilding, and no reopening date has been set. We will update this page when it reopens.
Questions and answers
Can I see just one act of kabuki?
Yes: single-act tickets are sold at the Kabuki-za on the day.
When is sumo in Tokyo?
In January, May and September, at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan.