Brothers in Sumo –
part one
Brian Lewin
Brothers no longer active on the dohyo come under the SFM microscope

NHK & the Ozumo
English Broadcast
Mark Buckton
A visit to NHK, years of watching the show and the opinions of our Ed-in-Chief

Hanging With the Rikishi
Barbara Ann Klein
Barbara Ann Klein recounts her experiences with the “boys” in a pictorial diary series

Rikishi of Old
Joe Kuroda
A look at a rikishi of yesteryear with Chiyonoyama – our man for December

Sumo Exhibit at the
Edo-Tokyo Museum
Barbara Ann Klein
SFM’s Editor takes in the exhibit celebrating 80 years of the Japan Sumo Association at this famous Tokyo museum

Heya Peek
John Gunning
John’s early morning trip to Hakkaku – a visit that almost didn’t happen

SFM Interview
Dave Wiggins sits down
with SFM’s Mark Buckton to discuss the broadcast scene – and maple syrup

Photo Bonanza
What a collection – All-Japan Sumo Tournament, Hakkaku-
beya visit and sumo exhibits at the Edo-Tokyo Museum

Kyushu Basho Review
Lon Howard
Lon gives us his Kyushu Basho summary, along with the henka sightings results, and his take on the year in brief

Lower Division Rikishi
Mikko Mattila
Mikko Mattila covers lower division ups and downs

Hatsu Basho Forecast
Pierre Wohlleben & Mark
Buckton
Pierre predicts the Hatsu Basho banzuke while Mark previews the ones to watch for in January

Sumo 101
Eric Blair
Eric explains all you need to know and then some about the Kokugikan building – the mecca of sumo

Kimarite Focus
Mikko Mattila
Mikko walks us through his chosen kimarite in expert fashion

Minusha
John McTague
John’s unique bimonthly view of news from outside the dohyo

Online Gaming
Eric Blair
For the lowdown on Guess the Kotomitsuki – baby of SFM’s John Gunning

Kokugi Connections
Todd Lambert
Todd’s bimonthly focus on 3 of the most interesting sumo sites today

Fan Debate
Intra heya bouts –
OK or not? See what our debaters had to say

SFM Cartoons
Stephen Thompson
In the second of our cartoon bonanzas, sit back and enjoy ST’s offerings

Let’s Hear From You
What was it that made you a sumo fan? American Todd Defoe tells all

Readers’ Letters
See what SFM readers had to say since our last issue

Sumo Quiz
The Quizmaster
Answer the Qs and win yourself next basho’s banzuke.

  a fierce looking animal. Passing that, it’s not immediately obvious exactly where the keikoba is, as it is in some heya. I had to ask one rikishi, who directed me through some paper sliding doors and took out a zabuton with an Edo era woodblock print for me to sit on.

The first thing that strikes you about Hakkaku is the bare concrete everywhere giving the place an unfinished feel. There are many similarities with other heya but some significant differences, too. For one, the full-size yusho portrait seen in the likes of Takasago or Magaki is instead replaced with a massive oil painting of the oyakata when he was known as yokozuna Hokutoumi. There is, however, a smaller version of the yusho portrait (from the Haru basho of 1990) close to the training area (see photo bonanza). One very personal touch contrasting with all the cold concrete is a huge montage of photos on a wall beside a kind of stage that extends from the dohyo area. In many heya this area would also be part of the viewing platform, but in Hakkaku it is used as a storage space for several golf bags and a few free weights of surprising small size. Completing the decorations is the obligatory “shin-gi-tai” wall hanging and a samurai sword set.

The atmosphere was very relaxed that morning. I guess the lack of senior wrestlers or the oyakata meant the lower-ranked guys could slack off a bit. There was some very half-hearted training going on and a lot of stopping and chatting. I noticed that all the guys were constantly looking over in the direction of the aforementioned shin-gi-tai hanging. They seemed to be doing it prior to each bout or butsukari session. I wondered if this some kind of Hakkaku tradition instilled by the oyakata, the former Hokutoumi. Although having a career that overlapped with the great Chiyonofuji, Hokutoumi won the Emperor’s cup eight times. I was starting to get all misty-eyed about how even these young trainees had the tradition of sumo so instilled in them by the 61st yokozuna, that they paused to reflect on the basic sumo principles of “heart – technique – physique” before a fight. It was only later when I stood up to leave that I saw the grandfather clock which hadn’t been visible from where I was sitting. The young guys’ reflections on sumo tradition had been nothing more than checking out how long was left in keiko (cue end of misty-eyedness). Actually, the whole morning they had been looking out the windows in anticipation of something. I only caught the phrase chaku-barai (cash on delivery) but whatever it was they were waiting for

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