“After every Grand Sumo tournament, a great big macaron is presented to the winner. It’s called the Japan-France Friendship Trophy, and is given by the French government as a symbol of the continuing good relations between the two nations. Apparently it originated with an award called the Chirac trophy given by former French president Jacques Chirac, who was a big sumo fan. That award was presented from 2000 for a few years but was stopped when Chirac was no longer in office. The current macaron shaped trophy presentation started in 2011, and has been continued ever since. The giant macaron itself, which is 41cm in diameter and 23cm tall, is not edible. However, a special box of macarons from Pierre Hermé is sent to the heya (stable) of the winner.”