Trump Brings His Own Prize to Japan’s Sumo Wrestling Championship – The Wall Street Journal

The ancient sport has slowly become more mainstream, to the chagrin of some traditionalist sumo fans. Foreign athletes are increasingly joining the ranks of the world’s most renowned sumo wrestlers, and matches, known as honbasho, are drawing more curious tourists.

The trophy—which the Japanese press is referring to as the “Trump Cup”—is approximately 4-and-a-half feet tall, weighs between 60 and 70 pounds, and has an eagle on top, according to a senior White House official. The trophy is taller than the more traditional Emperor’s Cup, presented to winners annually, which stands 3½ feet high and weighs about 66 pounds.

The trophy was put on display in the lobby of the Palace Hotel Tokyo on Sunday ahead of the final match, according to White House press secretary Sarah Sanders.

The president is expected to step into the dohyō—the ring where this clash of giants takes place—where he will present his trophy to Sunday’s winner. Mr. Trump will attend the match following a day of golf with Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Mr. Trump isn’t the first Western dignitary to attend a sumo match. The U.K.’s Prince Charles and Princess Diana went to a match in 1986 and foreign ambassadors and ministers frequently attend. Former French President Jacques Chirac, an avid fan who had a dog named Sumo, presented a trophy to the sumo champion in 2000. He continued the tradition every year until he left office in 2007.

Some exceptions are being made for Mr. Trump: he won’t be expected to watch the match sitting cross-legged on a traditional floor cushion, or zabuton. Instead, he will be offered a chair and will watch with Mr. Abe from inside a protective VIP box, according to the White House official.

Sumo’s origins go back at least 1,500 years, making it one of the world’s oldest organized sports. The word sumo translates as “striking one another.”

The national sport, known for its ancient rituals and discipline among its plump practitioners, has also seen a series of scandals in recent years, including gambling—which is illegal in Japan. In a high-profile case in 2010, a hairdresser who specialized in sumo wrestlers’ samurai-style topknots was the alleged middleman in a gambling operation that rocked the sport.

Mr. Trump has a long history with professional wrestling in the U.S. In 1988, he struck a deal with the then-World Wrestling Federation to host WrestleMania IV at the Trump Plaza hotel in Atlantic City, N.J. Almost two decades later, he became part of the spectacle at another WrestleMania event: Mr. Trump tackled wrestling executive Vince McMahon and “punched” him several times. A few bulky wrestlers then restrained Mr. McMahon in a barber’s chair in the ring and helped Mr. Trump shave Mr. McMahon’s head.

Mr. McMahon’s wife and business partner, Linda McMahon, served in Mr. Trump’s cabinet as administrator of the Small Business Administration until March, when she stepped down.

While sports fans are sure to be on the edge of their cushions for Sunday’s final sumo match of the season, the only spectacle Mr. Trump is expected to bring with him is the additional security. The area surrounding the Ryogoku Kokugikan stadium has been sealed off to non-ticket holders and additional security measures have been implemented.

Write to Vivian Salama at vivian.salama@wsj.com