A sharp rise in the number of COVID-19 cases nationwide at the start of the year forced the Japan Sumo Association to shelve its plan to hold the March tournament in Osaka.
Instead the spring meet — like the previous four basho — will take place at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo.
The move means that for the third time in the past 11 years, fans in the Kansai region will be without an official grand sumo tournament.