Brothers in Sumo –
part two
Brian Lewin
Brothers still active on the dohyo get their turn

Yokozuna Comparisons
Joe Kuroda
SFM’s most eminent historian, JK, has a crack at the impossible and tries to see who was the greatest of the tsuna wearers

Rikishi of Old
John Gunning
Takanobori – former sekiwake, former NHK man and all ’round gent

Heya Peek
Barbara Ann Klein
Kitanoumi-beya, Kitazakura, mirrors & photo bonanza

SFM Interview
John Gunning
Kazuyoshi Yoshikawa (son of the late sekiwake Takanobori) on life in sumo way back when

Sumo 101
Barbara Ann Klein
Behind every good man there stands a good woman – read and ye shall see. A departure from our regular 101 feature

Photo Bonanza
See the Hatsu Basho
plus much more through the lens of our photographers

Hatsu Basho Review
Lon Howard
Lon gives us his Hatsu Basho summary, along with the henka sightings results

Lower Division Rikishi
Mikko Mattila
Mikko Mattila covers lower division goings on in detail

Haru Basho Forecast
Pierre Wohlleben & Mark Buckton
Pierre predicts the Haru Basho banzuke while Mark highlights the ones to look out for in Osaka

Kimarite Focus
Mikko Mattila
Mikko takes us on a tour of his chosen kimarite

Minusha
John McTague
John’s unique bimonthly view of sumo news from outside the dohyo and in the restaurants!

Online Gaming
Alexander Nitschke
SFM’s own Alexander Nitschke covers the long running Hoshitori Game

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

Fan Debate
Feb's debate sees
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

Let’s Hear From You
What was it that
made you a sumo fan? A unique perspective from a sightless reader.

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

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

  Showa 14 (1939) was a big year for Takanobori. Immediately after his retirement, he took the name Oyama and left Takasago to open his own heya. He also got married. Unfortunately, just six years later, his wife and their child, along with two shin deshi, were killed as Oyama-beya was destroyed in the great Tokyo air raids of March 10th and 11th.

This tragedy was not the only one to befall Takanobori during his life. His best friend and rival rikishi, Okitsuumi, had died of blowfish poisoning, aged only 23, on September 30th 1933.


Oyama oyakata with his second wife Kiku (Photo by Kudo Shashin-kan)

 Despite these setbacks, though, Wataru never became despondent. Any person you talk to about Takanobori / Oyama oyakata, or any book you read on him, will inevitably speak about his calmness and his generosity of spirit.

In fact, despite never rising
above the rank of sekiwake, Takanobori was one of the most popular rikishi in pre-war Japan. He was part of the famous “five big rikishi” group with Tamanishiki, Musashiyama, Shimizugawa and Minanogawa. Later, as an oyakata, he would become even more popular as a sumo commentator, first on radio and later on TV. In this latter role, his plain speaking ability and humorous comments led many people to describe him with the
old saying, “he speaks like he has caramel in his mouth”.

Success, however, would come not only in a media role. The oyakata also found happiness again when he married for a second time and had two sons from this marriage. One of these sons Kazuyoshi is interviewed in this month’s issue.

Oyama oyakata also managed to raise one of his deshi, Matsunobori, to the rank of ozeki, and on a personal level, he was elected one of the riji of the kyokai in 1958.

Despite this rise in status, however, when the time came for Matsunobori to retire, Oyama did not have the money to buy him a toshiyori name, meaning the ozeki was forced to borrow the Furiwake name from yokozuna Asashio.

Matsunobori subsequently obtained his shisho’s kabu when, on the 19th Jan 1962 at
age only 53, Oyama oyakata died from a massive heart attack suffered at his home. His funeral was attended by most of those then in the world of sumo, including yokozuna Taiho.


Grave of Yoshikawa Wataru (Takanobori) (Photo by John Gunning)

 These days, the name Takanobori is unlikely to be recognized. Oyama-beya, too, has long since closed down, with the Oyama ‘name’ currently in the possession of former maegashira Daihi of Takasago Beya

That said, SFM was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to talk with the son of the former oyakata and to present the story of this once popular rikishi to a new generation of sumo fans.

Go on to the interview