<img width="1024" height="577" src="https://cms.qz.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/RTX6WK96-e1558865431834.jpg?quality=80&strip=all&w=1024" class="attachment-medium_10 size-medium_10 wp-post-image" alt="Donald-Trump-presenting-sumo-trophy-in-Tokyo" /><p>Donald Trump&#8217;s presidency is notable for breaking the rules: he refuses to release his <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/24/irs-trumps-taxes-2020-1468771">tax returns</a>, regularly <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/02/01/trump-plays-with-fire-when-he-insults-his-intelligence-officers/?utm_term=.5414f0c390aa">insults</a> his own intelligence agencies, and stymies attempts at <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/22/trump-loses-two-subpoena-fights-in-three-days.html">congressional oversight</a> of the White House.</p>
<p>In Japan today, Trump and the first lady attended the final day of a major sumo tournament in Tokyo, as guests of Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe. Earlier, Trump <a href="https://twitter.com/AbeShinzo/status/1132467086607802368">played golf with Abe</a>, who arranged a lunch of cheeseburgers made with American beef, the <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/17/japan-ends-longstanding-trade-restrictions-on-american-beef-usda.html">subject of ongoing trade negotiations</a> between the US and Japan.</p>
<p>The sport of sumo <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/travel/24journeys.html?auth=login-email">can be traced back</a> to early Shinto rites and ceremonies conducted in eighth-century imperial courts. It is wedded to long-held traditions, but at a delicate moment of diplomacy between the US and Japan some of its practices were altered to accommodate Trump at a showpiece tournament for the sport. These included:</p>
<ul>
<li>Trump awarded a huge, custom-made &#8220;President&#8217;s Cup&#8221; trophy to the winner, adorned with an eagle and weighing more than 60 pounds.</li>
<li>Spectators sit cross-legged on cushions on the floor at the tournament; Trump instead sat in a “low-backed” chair.</li>
<li>Spectators sometimes throw their cushions at the ring after upsets or particularly exciting matches; they were banned from doing this.</li>
<li>Shoes are forbidden in the sumo ring, but Trump and Abe wore special slippers when they <a href="https://twitter.com/nhk_news/status/1132571583732748288">presented the trophy</a>.</li>
<li>Tickets were scarcer than usual, according to <a href="https://www.apnews.com/aca0f0570d7346c18092b1ee42a62c74">the Associated Press</a>, with half of the usual number of same-day tickets put up for sale, for security reasons.</li>
</ul>
<p>Some sumo fans were not pleased with Trump&#8217;s special treatment. Masaru Tomamoto, 73, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-usa-sumo/japans-sumo-fans-welcome-trump-trophy-but-wish-hed-sit-cross-legged-idUSKCN1SS08V">told Reuters</a> he wished the president would follow tradition: &#8220;I think that it would be much better for him to sit cross-legged with the cushion on the floor, rather than on chair.” Added another fan, Izumi Chiba, “As we say, when you are in Rome, do as the Romans do.”</p>
<div id="attachment_1628658" style="width: 650px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1628658" class="size-hero-m wp-image-1628658" src="https://cms.qz.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/AP_19146349482074.jpg?quality=80&strip=all&w=640" alt="Trump-watching-sumo-Japan-May-2019" width="640" height="427" srcset="https://cms.qz.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/AP_19146349482074.jpg 4756w, https://cms.qz.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/AP_19146349482074.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://cms.qz.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/AP_19146349482074.jpg?resize=50,33 50w, https://cms.qz.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/AP_19146349482074.jpg?resize=160,107 160w, https://cms.qz.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/AP_19146349482074.jpg?resize=320,213 320w, https://cms.qz.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/AP_19146349482074.jpg?resize=640,427 640w, https://cms.qz.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/AP_19146349482074.jpg?resize=940,627 940w, https://cms.qz.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/AP_19146349482074.jpg?resize=1600,1067 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /><p id="caption-attachment-1628658" class="wp-caption-text">Looking on.</p></div>
<p>Around 11,500 people attended the tournament. Victory went to <a href="https://japantoday.com/category/politics/Trump-attends-sumo-gives-President's-Cup-to-winner-Asanoyama">Asanoyama</a>, whose real name is Hiroki Ishibashi and who weighs 390 pounds. He called the honor of receiving the special trophy from Trump “almost too much to say in words.” Trump&#8217;s interest in sumo is not surprising; he has been <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/donald-trump-and-wwe-how-the-road-to-the-white-house-began-at-wrestlemania-35697/">connected to World Wrestling Entertainment</a> for decades, including taking part in a 2007 bout dubbed the &#8220;Battle of the Billionaires.&#8221;</p>
<p>Japan&#8217;s charm offensive for Trump, which will include <a href="https://qz.com/1584358/the-reign-of-japans-new-emperor-naruhito-will-be-called-reiwa/">a visit with the new emperor</a>, comes as the country tries to avoid the US imposing <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/05/18/business/economy-business/trump-delays-u-s-auto-tariffs-six-months-calls-imports-security-threat/#.XOpyNdNKgWo">tariffs on imported cars</a>, which would hit the export-driven Japanese economy hard. Japan also looks to the US for support in containing North Korea. Before he met Abe for golf, Trump <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-48412016">dismissed recent North Korean missile tests</a> as &#8220;small&#8221; and said he was confident that Kim Jong Un would &#8220;keep his promise&#8221; on getting rid of nuclear weapons, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/bolton-says-north-korea-is-violating-un-resolutions-and-refusing-talks/2019/05/25/b9541aa0-7e5a-11e9-b1f3-b233fe5811ef_story.html?utm_term=.a5dc4c24ea99">contradicting the stance</a> taken by his national security adviser.</p>