Japanese wrestler-politician ready to rumble in North Korea - but will Kim Jong-un attend?
Japanese wrestler-politician spearheads international event in Pyongyang
Flamboyant Japanese wrestler-turned-politician Kanji "Antonio" Inoki kicked off his brand of sports diplomacy in North Korea yesterday ahead of an unusual two-day event featuring martial artists from around the world.
Inoki, 71, an opposition member of Japan's upper house with a penchant for red scarves, has travelled to the reclusive state with a host of international fighters in an attempt to use sport to thaw relations between Tokyo and Pyongyang.
He met with North Korea's ceremonial head of state Kim Yong-nam yesterday, hours before the first night of the "International Pro Wrestling Festival" was to kick off at Pyongyang's 20,000-seat Ryugyong Jong Ju-Yong Stadium, Japanese media reported. Kim presides over North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly, and often receives state guests or credentials from foreign ambassadors - an indication of how seriously Pyongyang is taking Inoki's visit.
WATCH: Scenes from Inoki's press conference in Pyongyang
"I feel very grateful for your continuous efforts to promote mutual understanding between the two countries and create an environment toward improvement in Korea-Japan relations," Kim, 86, told Inoki at the Mansudae Assembly Hall, Kyodo news agency reported.
Inoki - who stands 190cm tall - has organised the festival with North Korea's authorities, taking along 21 grapplers from Japan, the United States, France and Brazil as well as one from China.