How much do Americans know about sumo wrestling? If they want to understand Japanese politics, they'd do well to study the sport.
This is according to Masahiro Matsumura, a professor at Momoyama Gakuin University (St. Andrew University) in Japan. He says to understand sumo wrestling is to understand how Japan exerts influence in Asia -- as well as with the United States.Matsumura spoke Friday at the University of Utah during a Hinckley Institute "Coffee and Politics" discussion. Matsumura got a bachelor of art degree in Japan, a master's degree from Ohio University, a doctorate from the University of Maryland and last year was the Olin Post-Doctorate Fellow at Harvard University.
His topic was, "U.S./Japanese Alliance in Global and Regional Context."
While it is true that there are many alliances in the region -- Japan/China, Japan/Russia, U.S./China -- Matsumura said he believes the Japan/U.S. alliance is the linchpin, the key to stability in Asia.
When Japan wants to safeguard its economic and political security, the government can negotiate in one of two ways. Matsumura described what he calls the sumo approach and the karate approach.
The karate approach is a pre-emptive aggressive attack. He gave the example of Pearl Harbor.
"Now Japan doesn't have a reason to take the karate approach. Now we take the sumo approach," he said.
In sumo, "what you do as a good wrestler is manipulate the other person off-balance." A small man can outmaneuver a much larger opponent.
Matsumura went on to describe the nature of Japan/U.S. relations. First there is the written contract, a treaty really, that gives the United States the right to have military bases in Japan. Matsumura described these bases as essential to the U.S. global military network.
Later in his speech he also said they were important to Japan. If Korea had nuclear weapons and if the United States were to pull its military out of the region, Korea would quickly annex Japan, he believes.
There are other, unwritten contracts between the United States and Japan, as he sees it. They have to do with trade.
The most difficult problem facing Japan now is how to manage relations with China and North Korea, he said.