The July Grand Sumo Tournament commenced in front of spectators in Tokyo on Sunday, the start of the sport's first top-level meet since March's Spring Grand Sumo Tournament was held behind closed doors in Osaka.
The Japan Sumo Association opted to cancel the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament in May amid a nationwide state of emergency declared over the coronavirus pandemic. The July meet was delayed by two weeks and moved from its traditional location in Nagoya to the capital to mitigate the risk of infection posed by travel.
Despite the recent rise in confirmed cases of infections, the JSA decided to admit about 2,500 fans per day to Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan, which is often filled to its capacity of about 11,000 for the duration of the sport's marquee event, which is normally held six times a year with three of the six tournaments taking place in Tokyo.