Japan’s new PM faces sumo-sized dilemma: will Takaichi defy the sport’s ban on women?

Will Japan’s first female prime minister defy centuries of tradition and step into the sumo ring to present a trophy later this month? Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Anticipation is building among sumo fans in Japan as they wait to discover if the country’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, will defy centuries of tradition and step into the sumo ring to present a trophy later this month.

With 11 days of the current 15-day tournament in Fukuoka, south-west Japan, remaining, government officials have left the sport’s devotees guessing with vague comments over the likelihood of clash between Takaichi and the Japan sumo association.