The President of the USA Donald Trump is expected to attend the final day of the upcoming Summer Grand Sumo Tournament, reports “Japantimes”.
It is kind of shocking, but The White House has reportedly requested front-row seats!
The current incumbent wanted to sit among the general public in an arena that holds 11,000 people and has complete freedom of movement.
Sumo is no different than any other sport, as politicians worldwide are quick to jump on sporting success and grab a little reflected glory.
Tours to places like Mexico, Brazil and Korea were at least partly diplomatic and trade related, but in the 1930s sumo may have been responsible for delaying war between Japan and the United States, as well as saving the life of Charlie Chaplin!
The legendary actor was on a visit to Japan in 1932 when he became embroiled in political unrest. Chaplin and his traveling party were followed and harassed by members of a shadowy far right wing group and only escaped from one confrontation when Chaplin pretended to have a gun in his pocket.
Charlie Chaplin in The Tramp (1915) pic.twitter.com/fqDgjyDCCP
— Silent Movie GIFs (@silentmoviegifs) May 3, 2019
The same group assassinated Prime Minister Tsuyoshi Inukai soon afterward, and it later emerged that they had also planned to kill the comedian in the hopes of causing an international incident and provoking the United States into war.
Chaplin was not at Inukai’s home when the murder took place as the prime minister’s son had instead taken him to watch sumo.
For better or worse, sumo has always been intertwined with politics.
