Attention to Akeni Carolyn Todd SFM's newest addition to the writing staff takes an in-depth look at akeni, their history and production techniques Rikishi of Old Joe Kuroda Joe Kuroda slides former yokozuna Minanogawa under his SFM microscope Eric Evaluates Eric Blair Eric's wit scythes through the SML and makes clear his opinion of where the future lies for online sumo forums. Eternal Banzuke Phase II Lon Howard Stats, equations and mathematics all lead to a list of sumo's most prolific up and downers Matta-Henka: Another View Lon Howard A row that will never be fully decided but Lon gives his impressions on it all the same Heya Peek Mark Buckton Mihogaseki, former home of Estonian sekitori Baruto is toured (and peeked at) by SFM's Editor-in-Chief SFM Interview Mark Buckton Mark interviews shin-komusubi Kokkai Photo Bonanza See the Nagoya basho and Akeni photo bonanzas Nagoya Basho Summary Lon Howard Lon gives us his Nagoya basho summary, along with the henka sightings results Lower Division Rikishi Mikko Mattila Mikko Mattila casts his watchful eye over lower division goings on in makushita and below. Aki Ones to Watch Carolyn Todd Carolyn takes over the job of rikishi job performance prediction for SFM as she looks at those to keep an eye on come September Kimarite Focus Mikko Mattila Our man Mikko's latest trio of kimarite get thrown about the SFM literary dohyo Amateur Angles Howard Gilbert Howard returns with the second of his columns on the amateur sumo scene. Sumo Game SFM's very own quiz comes in for a bit of self scrutiny by our secretive man of questions. We'll call him 'X'. Sumo in Print Barbara Ann Klein SFM’s Editor reviews “The Little Yokozuna”, a book for “young” (and older) adults Kokugi Connections Todd Lambert Check out Todd's bimonthly focus on 3 of the WWW's best sumo sites Fan Debate Facilitator - Lon Howard Keri Sibley and Eduardo de Paz  ponder the concept of ‘to pay or not to pay’ makushita salaries SFM Cartoons Stephen Thompson Sit back and enjoy the offerings of one of sumo's premier artists Lets Hear From You What was it that made you a sumo fan? SFM’s own Todd Lambert details his path into sumofandom Readers' Letters See what our readers had to say since we last went out Sumo Quiz The Quizmaster Answer the Qs and win yourself next basho’s banzuke.

a little bit that hunger to win.  Who cares if I go home at the end of the season without winning, I’ve still got my millions.  I would suggest for baseball, the same as I do for sumo.  Lower the salaries and place more emphasis on the winner, instead of rewarding the loser. Give the winning team the lion’s share of the gate and don’t give the loser anything but their modest salary.  Then let’s see how exciting things will get.  The cream of the crop will usually rise to the top, just as it does in sumo now. EP:    I think, in this discussion, that both of us have arrived at a point in which we generally agree, although we have each taken a different path to reach here. However, one of your thoughts hasn’t fully convinced me.  Yes, it’s true that sumo needs a charismatic rivalry between their top rikishi, like the one between the Hanada brothers and the Hawaiians during the 90s.  But the rivalry forming now will be between Mongolians, or between Mongolians and Europeans.  Meanwhile, the Japanese rikishi will just be spectators to this rivalry, like you and me.   Yes, it’s true that the rikishi have to love sumo above the money. And really, this is just what happens now anyway.  I’m not talking about juryo and makuuchi rikishi, but all who fight in the four lower divisions. Almost all of these boys really do love sumo, because if they didn’t, they would be in their homes watching baseball on TV. Who is going to think about joining the world of sumo if it’s not

because he really loves this sport? The way of life is not the most attractive for any young boy.  The work is really exhausting all of his days, and the salary that he receives for all of this work is… nothing. Of course they love sumo.  Is there any other explanation for why these guys continue this life day after day?  A short time ago we were lucky to read an interview with ozeki Kaio in the French and English versions of “Le Monde du Sumo,” and also in Spanish in the “Boletín de Sumo”.  The ozeki told us that in the beginning he really didn’t like sumo very much.  But little by little, he came to understand and feel what it was all about until it became a part of his life. I’m completely convinced there are a lot of young people with great talent like Kaio who could come to understand what sumo might mean to them if only they would try it.  But many of them will never make the decision to try it because they can see no daily reward for their daily efforts.  So let’s make a way for more of them to be exposed to this grand sport by giving them a small reward for their daily effort and ability in the tournaments – a small salary for their own expenses and to sometime skip the kitchen duties, a small privilege in the lunch hour, to have more free time.  All of this can encourage the rikishi to make an extra effort to get good results and to climb up the banzuke. Actually, for most of them, the best happiness in sumo is to reach juryo, even more than to become yokozuna.  Well, maybe with some of these changes they can be happier than in past years.  Then, in a few more years there will be more new talented Japanese boys than before joining sumo and going up the banzuke to

challenge the Mongolian and European rikishi. KS:    I would agree with you that we are in the same line of thinking that the lower divisions need some incentive.  Let me see if I can’t convince you that my way would be better for the sport. Making the sport more popular to watch, as I stated earlier through rivalries and such, would indeed bring more Japanese youth to the sport.  Sumo, in large part, is a sport that is viewed where?  In Japan!  Who watches sumo in Japan?  For the most part, the Japanese!  Making something exciting to watch makes people want to be a part of it.  Whether it’s Mongolians vs. Europeans, or Japanese vs. Hawaiians, they still want to be a part of it. There have always been and there always will be Japanese rikishi, and each stable can contain a maximum of two foreigners.  The corporate America is trying ‘on purpose’ to diversify its work force.  Is this good?  That depends on who you are.  Like sumo, the ones that are being left behind are the ones that feel they are entitled or owed something.  The Japanese youth are going to have to take it up a notch if they want to succeed in sumo.  If they don’t, they will be like the jobless in America, ‘left behind’ and feeling empty as a result. So how does this apply to lower ranked rikishi getting paid?  In a salary-based system, the number of rikishi might grow, but I think Next