Basho attendance

[Akinomaki 39,533]

TV ratings known so far (from the top 30 weekly TV rankings of the Kanto area, average from the 2nd half of makuuchi)

Day 1 with 13.1% was as 31st just outside the top 30

http://www.sankei.com/entertainments/news/160114/ent1601140001-n1.html

Day 2 was 20th with 15.1%

Day 8 16th with 16.0%

http://www.sankei.com/entertainments/news/160120/ent1601200001-n3.html

The last week should have more, so far for day 15 we have 24%, with a peek of 29.2% at 17:27h JST, when Kotoshogiku was shown leaving through the hanamichi.

The locals in Fukuoka had 32.2%, with a peek of 38%, Kansai had 22.6% with a peek of 24.8%

More ratings from the last week, this time from the top 20 of different programs

http://www.asahi.com/articles/DA3S12181268.html

http://www.sankei.com/west/news/160130/wst1601300011-n2.html

Day 15 was 3rd, day 14: 4th with 20.1% (Kansai 8th with 17.7%), day 13: 12th with 16.6%,

day 12: 15th with 16.0%, day 11: 19th with 15.5%

[WAKATAKE 2,614]

Believe me, sumo is as popular now as it was during the Taka-Waka days.

I think that's going overboard a bit. Ticket sales might be very good again now, but sumo certainly isn't back to being constantly front and center in the news yet, AFAICT. Admittedly, perhaps the media landscape has changed too much since the mid-90s for that to happen again anyway.

At least all the online sports papers have re-established separate sumo sections over the last few years, so there's that. For a while there was a disturbing trend of sumo news simply getting dumped into the "other sports" areas.

My hope is that with all the rising young Japanese stars making their way through the ranks is that there may come that point yet again. 10 years of being dominated by the foreigners may have put some fatigue into the whole thing for the home crowd. But as time rolls on, so do the careers of those who are then, now, and from here on out.

[Akinomaki 39,533]

Advance sales for the Haru basho have started yesterday.

Weekends, the holiday on day 9 and day 13 are already sold-out.

http://sumo.pia.jp/vacant/va03.jsp

[Akinomaki 39,533]

Sales go well, better than last year: days 1 and 6-15 will be sold out and the rest definitely at least like last year man-in onrei, full house.
The gomen-fuda for the basho was put in place - the official permission to hold a performance, which was necessary in old times and now is a PR sign.
http://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/1604944.html
oyakata from the left: Fujigane (Daizen), Haru basho responsible Kagamiyama (Tagaryu), Isenoumi (Kitakachidoki), Hatachiyama (Tochinohana)

Edited February 15, 2016 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki 39,533]

As of today, all advance tickets are sold-out http://sumo.pia.jp/vacant/va03.jsp

no info yet about the last time an Osaka basho was completely sold-out, as definitely will be this time - likely the Kotoshogiku boost factor.

Now only possibly remaining tickets sold to re-sellers and the tickets for the day will be available.

[Akinomaki 39,533]

Of course all days of the Haru basho were a sell-out.

The top 30 TV ratings, 2nd half makuuchi, Kanto region:

not above 20% like Kotoshogiku's yusho, but the Japanese ozeki in the yusho hunt put from day 7 on all days into the rankings.

2nd week http://www.sankei.com/entertainments/news/160329/ent1603290008-n1.html

Day 14: 4th - 18.8%

Day 9: 5th - 18.3%

Day 15: 6th - 18.1%

Day 11&12: joint 10th - 16.7%

Day 10: 24th - 15.2%

Day 13: joint 27th - 14.6%

first week http://www.sankei.com/entertainments/news/160324/ent1603240001-n1.html

Day 7: 7th - 16.7%

Day 8: 12th - 15.8%

Day 5: joint 23rd - 14.6%

the week before http://tvshichoritu.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-96.html

Day 1: 11th - 15.2%

Edited March 29, 2016 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki 39,533]

Now the TV ratings for the Kansai region (with Osaka itself as the center) top 20 of different programs in comparison with (Kanto%)

Day 1: 19th - 14.7% (15.2%) http://www.sankei.com/west/news/160319/wst1603190015-n2.html
---
Day 7 joint 8th - 15.0% (16.7%) http://www.sankei.com/west/news/160326/wst1603260009-n2.html
Day 8 joint 18th - 13.7% (15.8%)
---
Day 14: 3rd - 18.2% (18.8%) http://www.sankei.com/west/news/160402/wst1604020004-n1.html
Day 9: 11th - 16.5% (18.3%)
Day 12: joint 17th - 15.0% (16.7%)

The Osaka viewers on day 15 maybe had given up on Goeido - or rather in Osaka there was a better alternative program at the time than in Tokyo.

[Akinomaki 39,533]

Yesterday at 10a.m. JST the advance ticket sales for the Natsu basho started at sumo.pia - already during the Haru basho the pre-advance sales for the standard seats took place. I guess the only way to get the best seats is to apply then and wait what seat one gets: you can only select the day and the rank of the masu seat box or 2nd floor seat, I think they give the available front rows out first, but I don't know the exact algorithm they use to fill the seats.

I tried it out with Wakanosato's and Kyokutenho's danpatsu-shiki tickets: there you couldn't select the seat location - sometimes they add that feature later though. If you select a seat category and then proceed to buying it, the one the system selected for you is shown only after login - each time you select a different seat category or day you have to login again, and each time a robot prevention number is shown, which you have to enter - quite tedious.

Wakanosato had the middle of the (2nd floor) front row of the backside (mukou-joumen) when I started checking, Kyokutenho already behind the first row. Directly behind is OK for the basho, but not for a danpatsu-shiki, so I waited and the seat that the system handed out, slowly moved to the side, at a pace of maybe one per day. Just when I thought I'd take it, it won't get better, one east corner front row seat of Kyokutenho's danpatsu-shiki was offered - I took that at once. His danpatsu-shiki was my first choice, but I would rather have taken Wakanosato with a front row seat than his with a row behind. Soon after that Wakanosato's front rows were gone as well - the back-side is apparently the last that gets handed out.

The 1 person masu seats on the 1st floor were not on sale, also not by phone. These are my favorite seats, because they allow you to enter the 1st floor at any time and sit in an empty larger box till about the makuuchi dohyo-iri, when the real occupants arrive, even on fully sold-out days. Homasho had them on offer for his danpatsu-shiki.

For the stress half hour when basho advance sales start, the system provided seat selection is the best way to get the best remaining one - 1 person masu seats are usually all sold out within that time, and you are lucky when the site connects at all.

The tamari seki lottery this time was only by phone (only from numbers in Japan that get shown: one try per number), after the basho - so far it had been part of the pre-advance sales.

The first day the sales overview was not available, today it is: http://sumo.pia.jp/vacant/va05.jsp (but maybe updated only once a day).

Yesterday you had to check each type separately: the different type of masu seats and the 2nd floor seats: http://sumo.pia.jp/ticketInformation.do?eventCd=1604680&rlsCd=008 (this page is updated always)

but at least for all 3 categories and all days on one page.

As usual, the 5 weekend days are all sold out already. Anything else than a complete sell-out next basho would be a surprise.

Day 13 is also gone and day 12 with just a few left.

But some may become available again later: those who select convenience store payment and don't get their tickets that day will be canceled - otherwise you can't cancel or change your seat. They reduced the time you have to pay at the store from 3 days to same day.

Edit: interesting to compare to the English pages:

Nearly all seats shown as yet available in that overview: http://sumo.pia.jp/en/vacant/va05.jsp

To see which day really has tickets left, on the English page you have to select the date, and count yourself which day of the basho it is https://sell.pia.jp/inbound/selectTicket.php?eventCd=1604680&rlsCd=006&langCd=eng

Edited April 11, 2016 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki 39,533]

A rare thing: tamari-seki are still available. Some (apparently quite some) who won one in the phone lottery didn't chose to really buy it. Anybody can apply now for them till Monday 11:00h JST in the 2nd lottery. Most days can be selected, also some sold-out ones: http://sumo.pia.jp/ticketInformation.do?lotRlsCd=06591

Now only with sure payment - the phone lottery had convenience store payment as well - they'll surely change the method again next basho.

You could check if you won a seat only one hour before the real sales started: if you didn't reach the number or got a very good seat otherwise, you could simply abandon the tamari seat you'd won.

On tamari-seki you sit on the cushions around the dohyo, no eating/drinking/taking pictures.

Available for the general public are only some in the back of the 6 or 7 rows, the others have NSK marks on them and are for the iji-in members - anybody with a bit money can become one, after recommendation and acknowledgement by the iji-in-kai: you now have to pay 4,140,000 yen for 6 years of Tokyo basho: the price of a single tamari-seki of 14800 yen for each day of all basho (15 * 3 * 6) plus 144 000 yen to get several extras as well. http://www.sumo.or.jp/kyokai/donation_sponsor/list

You can watch most seat positions in real: http://www.sumo.or.jp/ticket/tokyo/seat_view with Google view

Edited April 16, 2016 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki 39,533]

All days full house for the basho and re-starting today, for the rest also all days sold out, after a sell-out on day 1 so far, with 10816 spectators.

The other days

Day 2 9790

Day 3 10113

Day 4 10340

Day 5 10457

[Akinomaki 39,533]

The TV top 30 weekly rankings, Kanto region, 2nd half of makuuchi

Day 1 - 12.6%, not ranked, no chance against Shoten with the last month of Utamaru

week 1 http://www.sankei.com/entertainments/news/160517/ent1605170004-n2.html
Day 2 19. - 14.5%
Day 3 29. - 13.4%
Day 4 20. - 14.4%
Day 5 23. - 14.1%
Day 6 21. - 14.2%
Day 7 17. - 14,7% - 2% less than day 7 last basho
Day 8 27. - 13.6% - maybe lucky because the Shoten special was very long this time - and Kise still 8:0

week 2 http://www.sankei.com/entertainments/news/160525/ent1605250001-n1.html
Day 9 20. - 15.0%
Day 10 19. - 15.4%
Day 11 17. - 15.5%
Day 12 15. - 16.1%
Day 13 12. - 16.8% (Hakuho-Kisenosato - 1st half: 7.1%
so far each day more than at the Hatsu-basho with Kotoshogiku's yusho
Day 14 14. 16.2%
Day 15 - 12.3% - with the extra extended last ogiri of Utamaru (but the final after ozumo ended), only a Kisenosato yusho chance would have brought sumo into the top 30

Ozumo was in the best 30 of the year 14 times in the last 20 years, 10 times the Hatsu basho, 3 times Aki and once Kyushu, the 1995 Waka-Taka yusho ketteisen.
The last time was after 6 years again for 2015 the Hatsu basho day 14 with 22.1% (Hakuho yusho 33, surpassing Taiho - but already on day 13), before that day 15 Hatsu 2009 with the yusho-ketteisen of Asashoryu-Hakuho.
http://www.nikkansports.com/battle/column/sumo/news/1650666.html

Edited May 25, 2016 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki 39,533]

All days are guaranteed to have a full house.
http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/20160708/sum16070818080009-n1.html
Day 1 - sell-out with 7500 spectators
Day 2 - 6900 spectators
Day 3 - 6800 spectators

Day 2 and 3 usually have the lowest attendance, sell-outs till day 8 will be only on the weekend.

The last week starts with a holiday, the Tuesday looks like no sell-out, but the days after that are already sold out: http://sumo.pia.jp/vacant/va07.jsp

Edited July 13, 2016 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki 39,533]

Now 4 basho in a row each day a full house again.

The basho had 11 sell-outs, 3 more than last year, with 3100 more spectators, about 110 000 in total.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/sumo/20160724-OYT1T50042.html

[Akinomaki 39,533]

The complete list for the last week will be there in a few days, but there are a lot of articles already about the TV ratings (2nd half of makuuchi).

Top of all days of the basho was day 14 with 17.6%.

The expectations after Harumafuji going with a lead into the final day apparently were low: day 15 had 15.4%

- for Kotoshogiku's yusho it was 24%, the next basho for Hakuho still 18.1%, Hakuho's 37th decided on day 14 led to only 12.3% for day 15 of last basho.

Day 1 wasn't in the weekly rankings and had only 10.8% - election day ?

http://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp/sports/sumou/570419/

The rankings for the first week till nakabi from the Kanto top 30 / Kansai top 20

http://www.sankei.com/entertainments/news/160721/ent1607210002-n2.html

http://www.sankei.com/west/news/160723/wst1607230003-n2.html

Day 8 - 7th with 15.8% (after 17:19JST, the 19 minutes before had 13.2%) / Kansai 14th with 14.1%

Day 7 - 8th with 15.6 / 15th with 14.0%

Day 4 - 16th with 14%

Day 5 - 21st with 13.6%

Day 6 - 23rd with 13.3%

[Akinomaki 39,533]

The TV rankings for the last week, Kanto top 30, 2nd half of makuuchi http://www.sankei.com/entertainments/news/160727/ent1607270001-n2.html

Day 14 - 4th with 17.6%

Days 12 & 13 - joint 8th with 16.4%

Days 9 & 15 - joint 12th with 15.4%

Day 11 - 17th with 14.6%

Day 10 - 19th with 14.2%

Edited July 27, 2016 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki 39,533]

All chair seats are sold out now and only a few masu seats remain - looks like complete sell-out for next basho: http://sumo.pia.jp/en/vacant/va09.jsp

[rhyen 1,799]

Remind me next time to aim for non-Tokyo bashos. 

[Akinomaki 39,533]

On 20.8.2016 at 11:59, Akinomaki said:

All chair seats are sold out now and only a few masu seats remain - looks like complete sell-out for next basho

And now all available seats are sold out - the last few sold even though major kyujo were to be expected. That any of the few tickets for the day will remain unsold is unlikely (only a Kisenosato kyujo might cause that) - all 15 days full house guaranteed and surely also all with sell-out. http://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2016090800804&g=spo

[Swaps 7]

Is home viewership impacted at all by the location of the basho?

i.e. do more people watch the tokyo bashos than the others?

[rhyen 1,799]

On 9 September 2016 at 01:55, Akinomaki said:

And now all available seats are sold out - the last few sold even though major kyujo were to be expected. That any of the few tickets for the day will remain unsold is unlikely (only a Kisenosato kyujo might cause that) - all 15 days full house guaranteed and surely also all with sell-out. http://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2016090800804&g=spo

Still seeing some empty masu these 2 days from the rafters (the rafters also have pockets of deserted seats).

 

Today, we were paid a visit by some oldies (Kisenosato's hometown koenkai), who were out cheered by the Nagano school kids. 

[Akinomaki 39,533]

7 hours ago, Swaps said:

Is home viewership impacted at all by the location of the basho?

i.e. do more people watch the tokyo bashos than the others?

Kyushu has the worst attendance, consecutive man-in onrei records usually stop there. Nagoya and Osaka have smaller halls and therefore less attendance, but I guess that in terms of %full Osaka and Nagoya are as good as Tokyo. They have the only once a year advantage and I think they call it a full-house with a less % full house than in Tokyo. I have no statistics at hand though.

[Akinomaki 39,533]

All days a sell-out of course. The TV ratings, 2nd half of makuuchi: http://www.daily.co.jp/general/2016/09/26/0009526854.shtml

Kanto region (Kansai region: Goeido's home area)

１.day １２・９％（１０・５％）

２.day １２・５％（１０・２％）

３.day １２・８％（１０・３％）

４.day １２・１％（１０・６％）

５.day １４・３％（１１・０％）

６.day １４・１％（１０・０％）

７.day １６・１％（１３・７％）

８.day １５・６％（１４・１％）

９.day １８・２％（１３・８％）

１０.day １６・３％（１４・６％）

１１.day １６・８％（１４・２％）

１２.day １７・７％（１５・３％）

１３.day １６・７％（１３・８％）

１４.day １９・７％（１７・２％）Peak for the yusho: 24% (22%)

１５.day １６・８％（１８・３％）

 

[Akinomaki 39,533]

Ticket sales have started yesterday and as usual the last 2 days were sold-out on the day: http://sumo.pia.jp/vacant/va11.jsp

570 fans had lined up when sales began at the venue at 9a.m., 20 more than last year, the first since about 14h the day before. From last year day 6 on the full houses continue, this year they cheer for a recent yusho winner from the prefecture and another Japanese on yokozuna run, so Kyushu may not again see the end of the man-in onrei streak. http://www.nishinippon.co.jp/nnp/f_sougou/article/280626

45min after sales started for the 60th Kyushu basho

[Akinomaki 39,533]

Sales are far from indicating a number of sell-outs for many days (not even 1 is one yet), but sales are slightly better than last year and the number of full-house days may surpass that of last year. It's unlikely though that it will happen on all days: the first half of the basho has still many tickets left.

http://www.sankei.com/sports/news/161105/spo1611050013-n1.html

days of full-house declared (man-in onrei) in Kyushu the last 10 (Heisei) years

 

Edited November 5, 2016 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki 39,533]

Hakuho needs 3 more wins for 1000 and day 3 is the likely day to watch that special event - but day 3 is the one with most tickets left unsold - both box(masu) and chair seats in all 3 categories are all still available. The last 15 days of man-in onrei for Kyushu were in 1996. The basho is the only one where no chaya exist, who at the other locations in the past were in control of all ticket sales.  http://www.hochi.co.jp/sports/sumo/20161107-OHT1T50277.html

sold-out marks in red

man-in onrei days per year over the whole Heisei era (1989-2015)

Edited November 9, 2016 by Akinomaki