Surge in sumo popularity not driven by stars of the sport

Sumo’s booming popularity shows no signs of slowing, with the upcoming Autumn Tournament selling out almost as soon as tickets became available. For longtime fans who faithfully bought tickets through the sport’s down years, but now regularly find themselves empty handed at the end of seat lotteries and general sales, it’s a constant source of frustration and anger. Those emotions are further fueled by the seemingly easy access to tickets through companies focused on inbound tourism.