Sumo is walking a “tightrope” as it prepares to stage events outside Japan for the first time in 20 years while also trying to preserve its ancient traditions, experts say. The sport will hold exhibition tournaments in London this October and in Paris in June next year, the first time the Japan Sumo Association has been abroad since Las Vegas in 2005.

European promoters appear keen to make overseas events a regular fixture. David Rothschild, promoter and executive producer for Paris event organisers AEG, said “the idea would be to have sumo going to one country or another in the world once per year”.