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Brothers still active on the dohyo get their turn
SFM’s most eminent historian, JK, has a crack at the impossible and tries to see who was the greatest of the tsuna wearers
Takanobori – former sekiwake, former NHK man and all ’round gent
Kitanoumi-beya, Kitazakura, mirrors & photo bonanza
Kazuyoshi Yoshikawa (son of the late sekiwake Takanobori) on life in sumo way back when
Behind every good man there stands a good woman – read and ye shall see. A departure from our regular 101 feature
plus much more through the lens of our photographers
Lon gives us his Hatsu Basho summary, along with the henka sightings results
Mikko Mattila covers lower division goings on in detail
Pierre predicts the Haru Basho banzuke while Mark highlights the ones to look out for in Osaka
Mikko takes us on a tour of his chosen kimarite
John’s unique bimonthly view of sumo news from outside the dohyo and in the restaurants!
SFM’s own Alexander Nitschke covers the long running Hoshitori Game
Todd’s bimonthly focus on 3 of the most interesting sumo sites today
a pair of Kiwis exchanging opinions on the honbasho going on the road
SFM Cartoons
Benny Loh & Stephen Thompson
In the third of our cartoon bonanzas, sit back and enjoy BL’s offerings and put a caption to ST’s pic to win yourselves a banzuke
made you a sumo fan? A unique perspective from a sightless reader.
readers had to say since our last issue
Sumo Quiz
The Quizmaster
Answer the Qs and win yourself next basho’s banzuke.
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Lower Division Rikishi
Text by Mikko Mattila
Photos by Barbara Ann Klein
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semi-final. There, he faced Mongolian Hakuba, who has suddenly become a prospective sekitori after a couple of years of not getting anywhere in makushita. Hakuba was the more skillful of the two and took the initiative in the bout, but Wakanoho countered his shitatenage drive with one of those swinging uwatenage moves. Wakanoho beat two other play-off participants, Kirinoumi and former juryo Toyonokuni, on his way to 6-1, so definitely a great basho for the gigantic 17-year-old.
20-year-old Dewaotori competed at his highest rank, Ms8, and went all the way to 6-0 before
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The 2006 Hatsu Basho had a number of prospects competing at career high ranks in makushita, and the younger rikishi, in particular, were in the spotlight right to the end of a 7-man play-off. The makushita yusho winner was Estonian behemoth Baruto, whose blonde tresses will be decorated with the oichomage during honbasho – in all likelihood, permanently from now on. Baruto was in the wrong division this basho to begin with, as he is already able to compete well with makuuchi rikishi in keiko. and has an overwhelming power advantage in makushita. Baruto did lose to Chiyotenzan, but when the opportunity for a play-off emerged, he had no problems clinching the yusho, beating Dewaotori, Toyonokuni and Wakanoho in succession, and with authority. He kept Dewaotori’s left hand off the belt right from the start and seized his own favourite left hand outside grip, tilting Dewaotori’s centre of gravity up and marching him out. Then he pulled down Toyonokuni strongly and threw down Wakanoho from a right hand outside grip to gain the overall victory and ensure his return to juryo.
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Seventeen-year-old Wakanoho, who doesn’t look 17 at all, made his makushita debut this basho and managed to get all the way up to the decisive final play-off bout against Baruto. As is the case with Baruto, Wakanoho also has a big advantage with his reach, which he uses to lift and pivot smaller foes out. He also beat 36-year-old veteran Kimenryu with utchari after getting forced to the edge. He also had lady fortune on his side, getting one win by default and a bye in the play-off, advancing directly to the
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