SOS - Shinjinrui on Sumo   Chris Gould Wrapping up his look at increasing the popularity of sumo, Chris Gould caps a series the NSK would do well to refer to. Sumo Souvenirs   Mark Buckton Souvenirs are a part of every sport and sumo is no different - or is it? A look at collectibles and the downright trashy, the bona fide versus the unproven. Rikishi of Old   Joe Kuroda Joe Kuroda's latest look at times past focuses on former makunouchi man Dewagatake. Eric Evaluates   Eric Blair Eric takes a no-nonsense look at the claims of fixed bouts in the Japanese media. Rikishi Diary   Mark Kent Mark Kent - English pro-wrestler and amateur heavyweight sumotori - takes us through the first month or so of his training and preparation for the various European events lined up in in 2007. Heya Peek   Chris Gould SFM's Chris Gould was in Japan for the Hatsu Basho and popped along to the new Shikoroyama Beya to give SFM an online exclusive peek into sumo's newest heya. SFM Interview   Mark Buckton Mark interviews Mark - Buckton on Kent that is as Mark Kent, the UK's only active heavyweight amateur answers a few questions on his own recent entry into the sport. Photo Bonanzas   Sumo Forum stepped in to take the weight off the shoulders of SFM as far as Hatsu went so we could sit back, relax, enjoy the sumo and take a few more select pics you won't see anywhere else. Hatsu Basho Summary Lon Howard Lon wraps the Hatsu Basho and chucks in a few bits on the rush of henka that threatens to sully the good name of at least one foreign ozeki. Sumo Menko   Ryan Laughton Sumo cards of old brought to life by expert collector Ryan Laughton. None of your BBM here. Haru Ones To Watch Carolyn Todd Carolyn ponders and puts fingers to keys on the ones to watch come March and the Haru Basho. Kimarite Focus   Mikko Mattila Mikko's latest look at sumo's kimarite offers unequalled analysis and in depth explanations. Amateur Angles   Howard Gilbert Howard looks at the 'sumo factory' of lore - Nichidai. Kokugi Konnections Todd Lambert Click on Todd's bimonthly focus on three of the best the WWW has to offer. Fan Debate Facilitator - Carolyn Todd Moti Dichne comes back for more and takes on Bradley Sutton on the subject of 'Modernize the heya - yea or nay?' SFM Cartoons Benny Loh & Stephen Thompson In this issue's cartoon bonanza, sit back and sample Benny's 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? Ryan Laughton - sumo fan and menko expert reveals all. 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.

complete absence of female sumotori and officials is particularly noticeable to young, non-Japanese women in the crowd. ‘You mean, there are no women involved here at all?’ two Canadian students asked of me after just five minutes in the sumo hall. I could only respond by stressing that amateur sumo, unbound by Shinto custom, is very accessible to women, and may hold the key to the sport’s future popularity. Olympic offerings? Among the upper echelons of amateur sumo, there is a strong view that Olympic status would increase sumo’s exposure, attract new investment and thereby increase the international popularity of the discipline. However, Olympic representation will never become a reality without the assent of the NSK, and this does not appear to be forthcoming anytime soon. Several NSK figures, including a former yokozuna, have claimed that Olympic status would not only relegate sumo from dignified art-form to run-of-the-mill sport, but would divorce sumo from the Japanese traditions which are allegedly integral to its identity. In addition, they claim that whereas Olympians would treat sumo merely as a ‘way of work,’ a pastime that can be pursued and dropped at regular intervals, true sumo is a ‘way of living’ and requires total commitment. By virtue of its deference to a Shinto religion which subordinates females, the NSK is also opposed to accepting the Olympian belief that men and women have equal participation rights. It was hoped that had Osaka won the bid for the 2008 Olympics, the city’s sumo-mad female governor would have championed the staging of the inaugural Olympic sumo tournament there, doubtless hoping that the Japanese surroundings would placate the NSK. Alas, the 2008 Olympics went to Beijing, and although the following games belong to a city oft

touted as the world’s  most inclusive (London), amateur sumoists remain pessimistic about their sport’s chances of appearing there. One source maintained that Olympic sumo could come to fruition in 2016, but remained glum-faced when pondering the likelihood of NSK assent.    If opposition to Olympic accreditation is based solely on preserving sumo’s Japanese traditions alone, then such opposition appears increasingly meaningless. Even if those who question sumo’s Japanese roots are ignored, the fact remains that over 80 countries other than Japan have founded sumo associations, irrespective of whether the discipline is recognised at an Olympic level.

which is already happening.  On the other hand, though, Olympic status should not be hailed as the universal antidote to sumo’s woes. It is true that the move would probably enable amateur sumo to be introduced to households that might otherwise ignore it, while women’s sumo could also receive a large boost, but it is also true that recent additions to the Olympic family, such as curling, still receive miniscule amounts of media attention, while (in Britain at least) key figures in even the more established Olympic sports, such as gymnastics and skiing, complain regularly of media

Team Germany for the 2006 US Sumo Open. But will Torsten, Carsten and Alex ever be Olympians? - Chris Gould

Diverse individuals from across the planet have long been interpreting sumo in their own way, and adapting it to suit their own lifestyles. Amateur sumo tournaments, such as the US Sumo Open, are staged – and well supported – every year. Many of the participants in these tournaments are female. Seen in this context, Olympic status would merely formalise that

ignorance and government under-funding. Conclusion Given the tone of certain paragraphs, readers could be forgiven for thinking that sumo is not watched by any shinjinrui at Next