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Brothers no longer active on the dohyo come under the SFM microscope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

  about to begin. However, he started his first yokozuna basho off with a rather disappointing 9 wins and 6 losses. The following basho, in January 1952, he finished with 13 wins and 2 losses, losing the yusho to his nemesis, Haguroyama, on senshuraku. Thereafter, Chiyonoyama’s slump continued, as did his struggles.

Just prior to the September 1952 basho, Chiyonoyama married Mitsue, daughter of Osaka area restaurant Kagetsu’s owner. He somehow managed to get an 11 win, 4 loss record after the wedding, but the following January 1953 basho, he had to withdraw on day 3 suffering from a high fever due to a swollen tonsil. He came back on day 11 but only managed to finish with a 4 win, 4 loss, and 7 kyujo record. The next March basho was even worse. After beating Tokitsuyama on day 1, he ended up losing the next four bouts before bowing out completely. Jeers and taunting calls deeply hurt Chiyonoyama – despite his size, he possessed a delicate nature. Some were even calling for him to quit Ozumo altogether and become a cook at Kagetsu restaurant. Totally dejected, Chiyonoyama took an unprecedented step – he officially requested the Kyokai to take back his yokozuna 		designation. As expected, a huge uproar ensued when this was reported in the news, but obviously the Kyokai would have never accepted such a request and the whole incident ended with Chiyonoyama receiving a mild rebuke from his shisho. Chiyonoyama took the next basho off and went into hiding in the Koyasan Mountain in Wakayama Prefecture to recover from injuries and rest his troubled soul.

After his comeback, he won at least 10 bouts in each basho, but a yokozuna yusho eluded him. He finally accomplished it in January 1955, when he beat Tokitsuyama in the yusho kettei-sen. It was his fourth career yusho. In the following March basho, he beat Ouchiyama in the kettei-sen to win his fifth yusho. By then, Chiyonoyama made himself into a master yotsu-zumo rikishi from the power oshi-zumo style he started out with. He became so skillful that he simply had no equal when he was healthy, but his body was starting to break down. His chronic knee injury was especially causing him so much pain that he could hardly walk, even forcing him to withdraw in the middle of a basho.

After missing the whole September 1956 basho, 		Chiyonoyama returned in January 1957 to win all 15 bouts and earned his sixth career yusho. He followed up with a couple of 12-3 bashos but that all-win yusho turned out to be his last. On day 5 of the January 1959 tournament, he was pushed out easily by Fusanishiki to suffer his third loss of that basho. The following day, on January 16, Chiyonoyama Masanobu announced his retirement by saying, “I do not wish to tarnish the name of yokozuna any longer.” On May 23, 1954, NHK Educational TV aired his retirement ceremony held at the Kuramae Kokugikan. His yokozuna dohyo-iri was accompanied by tachimochi Tochinishiki and tsuyuharai Wakanohana I.

After assuming an ichidai, or, one generation toshiyori (around this time a retiring yokozuna was automatically given the ichidai toshiyori designation), Chiyonoyama obtained the Kokonoe Toshiyori and was expected to take over Dewanoumi-beya when then (7th) Dewanoumi oyakata (former yokozuna Tsunenohana) retired from the Kyokai. However, the oyakata died and a fierce battle erupted between former maegashira

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