Watching Sports in Tokyo: Baseball, Soccer, Sumo, Basketball, Rugby and Horse Racing Compared

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Researched guide · Checked on Nov 3, 2026

Which sport fits your trip?

Start with your travel dates. Each sport has its own season, so the month you visit decides most of your options.

Sport	When	Where in Tokyo	How to buy	Good for
Baseball (NPB)	Spring to early autumn	Tokyo Dome, Meiji Jingu Stadium	Official club sites (English available)	Food, beer and cheering songs
Soccer (J.League)	August to June, winter break mid-December to February	Ajinomoto Stadium, Machida GION Stadium	Official English ticket sites, linked from the J.League website	A full day out with cheering fans
Sumo	15-day tournaments in January, May and September	Ryogoku Kokugikan	Official site, usually 1–2 months before	Japanese tradition
Basketball (B.LEAGUE)	The 2026/27 season is under way. Games in November and December	TOYOTA ARENA TOKYO (Odaiba area)	B.LEAGUE TICKET. Alvark Tokyo has an English ticket page	Indoor nights, any weather
Rugby (League One)	December 12, 2026 to June 6, 2027	Venues change by match	League and club sites	A winter and spring option
Horse racing (JRA)	Race days through the year. Check the JRA calendar	Tokyo Racecourse (Fuchu)	Online reservation for regular race days	A cheap, easy half day

Baseball: Tokyo’s most popular night out

Baseball is the easiest sport to fit into a spring or summer trip. Tokyo has two professional teams. The Yomiuri Giants play under a roof at Tokyo Dome, so rain does not stop the game. The Tokyo Yakult Swallows play at Meiji Jingu Stadium, an open-air park.

The regular season runs from spring to early autumn, followed by the playoffs. Both teams sell tickets on their official sites. The Swallows have an English ticket site.

Full guide: Baseball in Tokyo.

Soccer: J.League from August to June

From 2026/27, the J.League plays from August to June, with a winter break from about the second week of December to about the third week of February. Tokyo has three J1 clubs: FC Tokyo and Tokyo Verdy at Ajinomoto Stadium in Chofu, and FC Machida Zelvia at Machida GION Stadium.

The J.League website links to an official English ticket site for every club. Ajinomoto Stadium is about 5 minutes on foot from Tobitakyu Station on the Keio Line.

Full guide: Soccer in Tokyo.

Sumo: three tournaments a year in Tokyo

Grand sumo tournaments in Tokyo take place in January, May and September at Ryogoku Kokugikan. Each lasts 15 days, starting and ending on a Sunday. Tickets go on sale on the official site, usually one to two months before each tournament. The nearest station is Ryogoku (JR Sobu Line, Toei Oedo Line).

If your dates do not match a tournament, you can still visit Ryogoku for the area and its food.

Full guide: Sumo in Tokyo.

Basketball: two clubs at TOYOTA ARENA TOKYO

Basketball is a good indoor choice for autumn and winter. Two B.LEAGUE clubs play their home games at TOYOTA ARENA TOKYO, a new arena for about 10,000 fans near Odaiba: Alvark Tokyo and Tokyo Sunrockers (called Sunrockers Shibuya until 2026). The arena is about 4 minutes from Aomi Station (Yurikamome) and 5 minutes from Tokyo Teleport Station (Rinkai Line).

Home games in November and December 2026 (from the club sites on November 3, 2026):

Date	Tip-off	Match
Sat, Nov 7	5:05 pm	Tokyo Sunrockers vs Kyoto
Sun, Nov 8	5:05 pm	Alvark Tokyo vs San-en
Wed, Nov 11	7:05 pm	Alvark Tokyo vs Nagasaki
Sat, Nov 14	5:05 pm	Alvark Tokyo vs Hiroshima
Mon, Nov 16	7:05 pm	Alvark Tokyo vs Kobe
Wed, Nov 18	7:05 pm	Tokyo Sunrockers vs Alvark Tokyo (Tokyo derby)
Sun, Dec 6	5:05 pm	Tokyo Sunrockers vs Mikawa
Mon, Dec 7	7:05 pm	Alvark Tokyo vs Altiri Chiba
Wed, Dec 16	7:05 pm	Tokyo Sunrockers vs Saga

Tickets are sold on B.LEAGUE TICKET. Alvark Tokyo’s official site also has an English ticket link. See our Odaiba guide for things to do before the game.

Rugby: League One from December

Japan’s top rugby league, League One, starts its 2026/27 season on December 12, 2026. The Division 1 regular season runs until May 9, 2027, and the play-off final is on June 6, 2027. Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath and Ricoh BlackRams Tokyo are among the 12 teams in Division 1.

Venues change from match to match, so check the league or club website for the stadium and tickets before you plan your day.

Horse racing: Tokyo Racecourse for ¥200

Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu is the cheapest way to see a big sports event in Tokyo. On race days, admission is ¥200, and children under 15 are free. From 2026, regular race-day tickets are sold by online reservation. Prices and rules can differ on G1 (top-level race) days, so check the JRA notice first.

• Getting there: about 2 minutes on foot from Fuchukeiba-seimommae Station (Keio Line), or 5 minutes from Fuchu-Hommachi Station (JR Musashino and Nambu lines).
• Gates: 9:00–17:00 on race days.
• Big races here include the Japan Cup, the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) and the Tenno Sho (Autumn).

Fuchu is next to Chofu. See our Chofu and Fuchu guide for the area.

Tips for any game in Tokyo

• Buy online, before the day. Most clubs sell tickets on their official sites. Avoid unofficial resale sites.
• Keep the ticket on your phone. Many tickets are QR codes shown at the gate.
• Use the train. Stadiums have little or no parking for fans. An IC card like Suica makes the trip easy.
• Wear neutral or home colors. Away-team shirts belong in the away section.
• Check the official site on the day. Times and rules can change, especially for outdoor games and bad weather.

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