Police have raised the security alert to its highest level, mobilizing about 25,000 officers, the largest number ever, at major locations in Tokyo and other areas for the visit of U.S. President Donald Trump, who arrived Saturday.
To receive the first state guest in the Reiwa era, special squads have been deployed on both land and sea.
Trump is expected to watch sumo bouts on Sunday, the final day of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament at the Ryogoku Kokugikan arena in Sumida Ward, Tokyo. Metropolitan Police Department officers and U.S. Secret Service agents will be in place to ensure the safety of the president.
In the past, former French President Jacques Chirac and Britain's Prince Charles watched sumo bouts from the royal box or the top seat.
Trump, however, hopes to watch the action from a masu-seki box seat close to the dohyo ring. It also is planned that Trump will step into the ring to present a custom-made trophy to the tournament winner.
The masu-seki seats are at the bottom of the cone-shaped venue, with the dohyo at the center.
"Because the dohyo ring is like a suribachi pottery bowl that is surrounded on all sides, guarding him will not be easy," said an MPD senior official on the security assignment.
If a yokozuna is beaten by a lower-ranked wrestler or another upset occurs in a bout, spectators surrounding the dohyo may throw their zabuton cushions toward the ring to express their excitement, and thus, there is concern that something harmful could be thrown in such a moment to attack the president.
The MPD is prepared for all possible cases and will step up checks of spectators' personal belongings and take other measures.
In addition to U.S. Secret Service agents assigned to guard the president, the MPD's security police officers will be positioned in his surroundings.
To prepare for any possible terror attack, the MPD will put the Emergency Response Team (ERT) and the Waterfront Response Team (WRT) of the MPD on standby. ERT officers carrying submachine guns and WRT officers using a jet ski and a rubber boat are tasked with handling emergency situations.
MPD concerned about drones
The MPD is especially concerned about drones that could be used as weapons.
In April 2015, for example, a drone carrying radioactive material landed on the roof of the Prime Minister's Office. And in Venezuela, drones armed with explosives detonated while Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was delivering a speech, injuring some soldiers in August last year.
In December 2015, the MPD launched a new unit that uses drones with nets to catch suspicious drones in the air.
In April, the MPD also started using radar signal jamming equipment that disrupts drones in flight.
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