Sumo Nagoya Basho 2022 live stream and how to watch the wrestling online from outside Japan

Sumo Nagoya Basho 2022 – the fourth of Japan's six annual Sumo tournaments – gets underway on Sunday 10th July at Dolphins Arena (Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium). Wrestlers to watch include two-time champion Takakeisho (163kg), wily Wakatakakage (131kg) and seven-time champion Terunofuji (181kg). Want to watch the sumo for free? Read on for how to watch a Nagoya Basho 2022 live stream and from wherever you are in the world.

Sumo is Japan's national sport (only baseball is more popular). The Grand Tournament runs just six times a year and is the pinnacle of sumo wrestling, so it's a great place to see top division stars (makuuchi). Matches run throughout the day with the most anticipated clashes saved for the evenings. There are no weight divisions so wrestlers can face much heavier opponents. Tickets can be expensive and sell out fast, so it's much more convenient to watch sumo online.  

According to NHK commentator Morita Hiroshi, the rules are simple. A rikishi (wrestler) wins a bout by forcing his opponent out of the ring or by making him touch the ground with any part of the body except the soles of the feet, using a technique such as a throw. Why the hairstyles? Well, the Samurai topknot is considered "untouchable" in Japanese culture. But just to make sure there's no hanky-panky, a rule exists to prohibit sumo wrestlers from pulling each other’s topknot.

Ready for the July Grand Sumo Tournament? Make sure you know how to watch a Sumo Nagoya Basho 2022 live stream from where you are.

Watch a free Sumo Nagoya Basho 2022 live stream

NHK World-Japan offers free live coverage of all six Grand Sumo Tournaments – online and on TV.

Cordcutters can watch a free on the NHK World-Japan website and app. NHK World-Japan is available in most territories including UK, US, Australia, Russia and India.

However, if you're travelling outside of those territories and find yourself geo-blocked, you can use a VPN to watch a Sumo Nagoya Basho 2022 live stream on NHK World-Japan from anywhere. Full details next.

Watch a Sumo Nagoya Basho 2022 live stream from abroad using a VPN

Even if you have subscribed to the relevant Sumo Nagoya Basho 2022 rights holders, you might not be able to access them when outside your own country. The service may know your location based on your IP address, and could automatically block your access. If not, no problem. Watch away. If it does happen, then a VPN is the answer.

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) helps you get around this obstacle. VPNs are a simple to use and create a private connection between your device and the internet. All the information passing back and forth is entirely encrypted.

There are many VPN providers out there, with some more reliable and safe than others. As a rule, we’d suggest a paid-for service such as ExpressVPN which offers a 100 per cent risk-free money back guarantee. If you're not happy with the service any time within the first 30-days, then you can cancel with no penalties at all.

Try ExpressVPN risk-free for 30 days
ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money back guarantee with its VPN service. You can use it to watch on your mobile, tablet, laptop, TV, games console and more. There's 24/7 customer support and three months free when you sign-up. Try it – you'll be surprised how simple it is. 

How to use a VPN for Sumo Nagoya Basho 2022

Using a VPN to watch Sumo Nagoya Basho 2022 is incredibly simple.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. ExpressVPN is the one we recommend.

2. Open up the VPN app and choose the location of the service you wish to access. For the wrestling, choose 'UK' or 'US' for NHK World-Japan. 

3. Then head over to NHK World-Japan on your browser or device and enjoy the free Sumo Nagoya Basho 2022 live stream.

If, for whatever reason, you can't get it working, do remember that you have the comfort of a 30-day money back guarantee with ExpressVPN. You could also try NordVPN, which also comes with a 30-day money back guarantee, and Surfshark which offers 24 hour assistance.

2022 Sumo Grand Tournament schedule

1. Hatsu basho - Tokyo

Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 9 January – 23 January

2. Haru basho - Osaka

Edion Arena (Prefectural Gymnasium) Osaka, 13 March – 27 March

3. Natsu basho - Tokyo

Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 8 May – 22 May

4. Nagoya basho - Nagoya

Dolphins Arena (Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium) Nagoya, 10 July – 24 July

5. Aki basho - Tokyo

Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 11 September – 25 September

6. Kyushu basho - Fukuoka

Fukuoka Kokusai Center, Fukuoka, 13 November – 27 November

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