Sumo Fan Magazine

<DATE> Contents

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.

Heya Peek -
Oitekaze-beya

by Mark Buckton

those unfamiliar with the area, Oitekaze is under an hour from Ryogoku station to station. Tag on another 20 minutes or so and you can make a rough guess at the door to door time – Kokugikan to Oitekaze.

From the east exit of the station, across the famed Nikko Kaido and

A literal stone’s throw from the northernmost border of Tokyo lies Oitekaze-beya.

Were you to stand on the Adachi-ku (Tokyo) and Saitama Prefecture border and, armed with a good pitching arm, chuck a well aimed ball to the east of Yatsuka, south of the famed sembei town of Soka, the chances are that someone at Oitekaze-beya could at least see it sailing past – if not catch it.

Oitekaze Beya in Yatsuka - Saitama Prefecture - Mark Buckton

In 2007, Oitekaze is home to Georgian maegashira, the former komusubi Kokkai, Daishodai as was, Daishoyama as is, and of course the up and coming Japanese American fighting under the name of Daishoyu, son of Tokyo based Inter FM DJ

Oitekaze Beya keikoba - Mark Buckton

Marvin Dangerfield and a former amateur at the same Adachi-ku neighborhood club as Tamanoi-beya’s makushita rikishi, Shibuya. (Note: for the followers of anything foreign in sumo today – Daishoyu speaks no English. A very polite lad, nice manners but not one at ease with the language of Eikoku.)

Perhaps the most famous of Oitekaze’s retirees to date is Hayateumi. Already having discharged himself from things NSK, sumo is a less ‘bouncy’ place with the ‘leaping lizard’ now relegated to the record books.

Accessed best from Yatsuka Station on the Tobu Isesaki Line, heading north out of Tokyo for

through a drab housing area made up of stereotypically Japanese suburban streets dotted with temples and deserted, long-forgotten pachinko parlors plus a half dozen shops that have definitely seen better days, through a slight chicane, under a footbridge, past an unremarkable neighborhood temple (at this point Stephen King would say “and somewhere, a dog barked”) and the heya comes into sight on the left – currently opposite a construction site.

Recognised more by way of its concrete facade with deep set circular windows towering above huge plate glass windows

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