President Trump attended a sumo wrestling competition with Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe, on Sunday, as the Japanese rolled out the red carpet for Trump during his visit to Tokyo.
The wrestler who won the competition received a U.S.-made trophy named the President's Cup, in honor of Trump's trip.
"That was something to see these great athletes, because they really are athletes," Trump said after the tournament. "It's a very ancient sport and I've always wanted to see sumo wrestling, so it was really great."
On Monday, Trump will be the first foreign world leader to officially meet with Japan's new emperor, Naruhito, who ascended to the throne at the beginning of May.
Japan is the latest country to attempt to use a visit like this to impress Trump, who loves pageantry and puts a great deal of stock in personal connections. But these grand displays haven't translated into lasting benefits for these countries. Listen to the story on NPR's Morning Edition and see photos of past events below.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
Ayesha Rascoe is a White House correspondent for NPR. She is currently covering her third presidential administration. Rascoe's White House coverage has included a number of high profile foreign trips, including President Trump's 2019 summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, Vietnam, and President Obama's final NATO summit in Warsaw, Poland in 2016. As a part of the White House team, she's also a regular on the NPR Politics Podcast.
This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members —
listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.
We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a
community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.
Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are
building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.
Monday is the Met Gala, known as fashion's grandest event, where celebrities from various realms come together at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art to celebrate fashion and each other.
The FAA says Boeing informed the agency in April that required inspections to confirm that the wings were properly bonded to the carbon fiber fuselage on certain 787 jets were not completed.
Pulitzer Prizes honor American achievements in journalism, letters and drama, and music. They are widely recognized as the most prestigious awards in their field within the United States.