Sumo Souvenirs   Mark Buckton Second of a two parter on sumo souvenirs - some hints on avoiding the fluff. Konishiki Chris Gould Takamiyama's 60s / 70s successes notwithstanding Konishiki was sumo's first full-on mover and shaker from lands afar leaving Chris G to take an in-depth look at the ripples the big guy left behind when exiting the sumo pool. Rikishi of Old Joe Kuroda Joe Kuroda's looks back at the life and times of former yokozuna Shiranui. Eric Evaluates Eric Blair Eric IDs the true winners of the henkafest that was the Haru Basho senshuraku. Rikishi Diary Mark Kent Mark Kent - English pro-wrestler and amateur heavyweight sumotori - takes his training a step further on his road to European and World sumo glory. Heya Peek Mark Buckton Oitekaze Beya just to the north of Tokyo and not far from the abode of SFM's Ed-i-C falls under the microscope. SFM Interview Carolyn Todd Carolyn interviews Riho Rannikmaa during his recent trip to Osaka - head of all things sumo in Estonia, friend and mentor of Baruto, this is a man with something to announce. Sumo à la LA Alisdair Davey SFM's man in the shadows reports on his recent jaunt in LA, as guest of the Californian Sumo Association and SFM reporter at large. Photo Bonanzas Hot on the heels of the recent Ise bonanza - Haru up close and very very personal - some of our best pics to date. Haru Basho Summary Lon Howard Lon wraps the Haru Basho and chucks in a few bits on the henka issues the top dogs are suffering from at present. Sumo Menko Ryan Laughton Sumo cards of old brought to life once again by expert collector Ryan Laughton. None of your BBM offerings here - Pt II of III. Natsu Ones To Watch Carolyn Todd Carolyn ponders the ones to watch come May and Natsu when sumo comes home to Tokyo. Kimarite Focus Mikko Mattila Mikko's latest look at sumo's kimarite offers unequalled analysis and in depth explanations. Amateur Angles Howard Gilbert On your marks, get set, go - Howard Gilbert walks us through the months ahead on the amateur calendar. Kokugi Konnections Todd Lambert Click on Todd's latest selection of the best sumo sites the WWW has to offer. Fan Debate Facilitator - Carolyn Todd Should it or shouldn't it? Honbasho go on the overseas road that is. See what SFM's Chris Gould and James Hawkins have to say. SFM Cartoons Benny Loh & Stephen Thompson In this issue's cartoon bonanza, sit back and sample ST's latest artistic offerings. Sumo Odds & Ends SFM's interactive elements - as always includes Henka Sightings, Elevator Rikishi and Eternal Banzuke! Let's Hear From You What was it that made you a sumo fan - A. S. - the face in the crowd reveals almost all - to see everything you'll have to close your eyes. Readers' Letters See what our readers had to say since we last hit your screens. Sumo Quiz The Quizmaster Answer the Qs and win yourself a genuine banzuke.

Eternal Banzuke – Phase Four   by Lon Howard

with rikishi that had little impact in their own era, and whose names most fans would never recognize.  The number was set at 30 appearances, from the first makuuchi appearance to the last: i.e., a five-year run.      Like life, this concept isn’t fair to all, Chiyonofuji being a prime example.  He made one initial ‘cameo’ makuuchi appearance before dipping back to juryo and makushita for 13 basho.  Since starting the calculation with his first makuuchi appearance meant including those 13 intervening basho – and thinking how unfair this was – I tried using some rules designed to exclude sub-makuuchi appearances before, and even after their makuuchi careers were ‘established.’  That just became too complicated, so ultimately, it was just decided that the career is what the record says it is. Since the Eternal Banzuke doesn’t use longevity, maybe when it’s complete – or even before then if someone else wants to go for it – an EB2 can be done based on the number of basho for which a rikishi held his highest rank, or something like that.  But then the fairness component would creep in again because while someone might have been at his highest rank for only one basho, he might have been at his next highest rank for many, so then you’d establish a separate ranking for each makuuchi rank.  That would lead to some rikishi appearing multiple times, making it hard to discern what you were really looking at.  Maybe someone has an idea that’s more workable? Another fairness issue is, however, addressed in the EB, and that’s Rules Next

Only slight progress was made in continuing the Eternal Banzuke, mostly due to ill health and additional duties, so we’ll just recap here what’s been done so far.  Also, I’ve got to say now that I realize that, in the beginning, I didn’t fully appreciate how it could and should be used.  I’ll take a few whacks at getting that part straight here, but first, just a reminder that the Banzuke is being built by studying the careers of all rikishi, going back in time and taking them one by one as their names show up on a banzuke.  The EB idea came during development of the Elevator Rikishi when I wondered if there was any connection between a rikishi’s elevator tendencies and his ‘natural’ place on the banzuke.  I used a median rank to determine this natural place, and later wondered if the median rank itself would be useful.  It is, after all, illustrative of a rikishi’s entire career performance, and provides – in and of itself – some indication of the kind of career he had.  But since I really didn’t grasp how it could be easily misinterpreted, I didn’t present it accurately. (In earlier issues, the term median rank was dubbed ‘highest median rank,’ the word ‘highest’ being redundant.)

The median rank is simply the highest rank the rikishi held at least 50% of the time.  So it’s going to show – at a glance – where the rikishi spent the majority of his career, compared to the other rikishi.  It shouldn’t be used to make a judgment about who was better or stronger but it does show some things, as long they are put in the right perspective.  For example, there is an ex-yokozuna who doesn’t even make sanyaku on the EB, while an ex-ozeki shows up as M6.  This means that both Takanosato and Kirishima struggled at the lower ranks before achieving their potential.  It also represents how Akebono soared up the ranks while Chiyonofuji was a late bloomer. At first I thought the EB could show each rikishi’s entire career, from jonokuchi and on up, but then I realized that lower division records from long ago might be hard to come by, and also that I just wouldn’t have the time; so this one just covers the makuuchi careers, from the first makuuchi appearance to the last.  Although longevity isn’t a factor in the EB – and isn’t intended to be since skill or strength isn’t implied – it was decided that a minimum number of basho would be required so the Banzuke isn’t cluttered