Rare Elite Sumo Tournament Returns to Paris After More Than 30 Years

Overview

• The two-day exhibition, held 13–14 June, brings 62 top wrestlers to the Accor Arena and expects about 25,000 spectators for ceremonial bouts and demonstrations.
• A 150‑person delegation flew from Tokyo on two chartered planes with seating arranged by rank and double seats for larger rikishi to meet practical and safety needs.
• Organisers built an authentic dohyo inside the arena using ten tonnes of locally sourced clay and transported roughly 200 kg of Guérande salt for Shinto purification rituals.
• Officials from the Japan Sumo Association inspected Paris tap water for hair treatments and teams reinforced hotel and arena facilities, citing extra precautions after a 1995 warehouse fire destroyed ceremonial costumes.
• The event pairs matches with cultural programming, including a free Bruno Aveillan photo exhibition at the Maison de la Culture du Japon, as part of a broader push to introduce sumo’s ritual and diplomatic dimensions overseas.