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Brothers no longer active on the dohyo come under the SFM microscope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.

  career he must re-stoke his fire much too often to maintain focus.

It appears that Sekiwake Kotomitsuki can’t even tease us anymore. His 8-7 plop pulled the plug on any hope his most ardent fans still harbored. Wakanosato was kyujo at M3 and will work his way back up, but even before his hamstring injury during Aki he appeared to have lost his swagger. Ex-ozeki Miyabiyama’s 10-5 at M4 earned him a shared kanto-sho and he appeared to revel in that – but the reality is that he’s old news as far as ozeki is concerned. Great hope Kisenosato showed he is still just that with his 5-10 debut against the joi-jin at M5. Can we just assume he’ll keep advancing? M2 Futeno showed some grit when he demanded his oyakata let him return on Day 7 after withdrawing with an ankle injury following an opening day loss, finishing at 3-8-4 – but he’s still all potential right now. How about Tamanoshima’s 8-7 at M1, only the fourth time he’s ever had two straight kachikoshi in makuuchi? How about his chances for making it three straight for the first time ever – and then going on and up from there? Uhh yeah, how about that.

So if a new ozeki within the next 		two years doesn’t come from any of the above, let’s see if there are some nuggets to be found by digging way down deep. Unfortunately for him, young M7 Kotoshogiku had the ‘Hope’ tag placed on him from the beginning, but a dull 6-9 display in Kyushu shows it should still say ‘Dream.’ M4 Iwakiyama is capable of a major upset once every year or so, but that’s about it – his 7-8 will send him back down the banzuke. Ama, Kokkai, Tokitenku? Are we missing anyone? Wehll…strike me silly but the only two guys left in sight with any hope of a major breakout are the Brothers Feliksovich, Roho and Hakurozan. What was impressive about them this time was not so much their twin 10-5 marks at M8 and M13, but that they seemingly got together somewhere near mid-basho and vowed together to stop their trademark pulling and grabbing. After that they began to win going forward with power AND guile. Only in the last couple of days did they begin to revert but they seemed to quickly recognize they had ‘sinned’ and resumed moving forward. The results were gratifying to observe. If they continue to unlearn their bad habits there is real hope there because they are both still learning about sumo and about Japanese culture and expectations. In their attitude and personae, they are reflective of the Asashoryu we knew several years ago, and in that regard they will change as Asashoryu has changed. I don’t have the same expectations for their sumo but then how could anyone?

It’s not certain we’ll have no one breaking through, but I’m not only considering the cast of characters and the requirements they must fulfill, but also the fact that Kotooshu is the first new ozeki since Asashoryu himself over three years ago – so rich new blood these days is definitely in short supply. Relying on yesterday’s law of averages that one or two will do it may be wishful thinking. If no one does, then what lengths would the Kyokai go to in order to fill those spots?

The best of the rest in Kyushu was led by a remarkable 11-4 showing by M14 Tochinohana. The ex-komusubi’s last top division appearance was in Haru 2003 and since then he has been languishing in juryo and makushita as he crawled back up the banzuke, recovering from a bad back. He shared the kanto-sho with Kotooshu and Miyabiyama. The sumo from M7 Tokitenku has a new look – one with some power to go

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