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 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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