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.

in Aki and then missed Kyushu altogether, sending him plummeting down to M16 for Hatsu, where it was expected he might challenge for the yusho. Apparently his injury isn’t healed yet because his de-ashi never surfaced and he managed 10-5 solely due to his upper body strength. On the bright side, he is on his way back…but to where?
 
Kasuganishiki
 
 Predictably joining the “In Too Deep” club were M1 Tokitenku, M3 mates Takekaze and Tochinohana, M4 Asasekiryu and M5 Kasuganishiki. None of them managed over five wins.

The two young bucks M9 Kisenosato and M10 Kotoshogiku, still wander through the makuuchi forest. At 8-7 they will advance slightly but still seem lost at times and can in no way compete with the joi-jin, though at their present ranks they encounter precious
few of those. It is not only surprising, but also disheartening that M10 Takamisakari and M11 Kyokushuzan haven’t arrested their slides from last year, each delivering 7-8. They have now posted three and four consecutive make-koshi, respectively. Kyokushuzan was reported to have been injured in Kyushu. I don’t know if it carried over, but there was no confidence in his sumo this time because he received seven nominations on our Henka Sightings and all of them were validated with a majority “yes” vote. If these two continue down, I wonder how much of a reach will be made to keep them in makuuchi…I’m worried about them.

We saw that banzuke-maker reach after Aki regarding Tochinonada, who finally slipped all the way out of makuuchi in Kyushu. This time the big name on the bubble will be the venerable Tosanoumi, who seems to be near the end after posting 5-10 at M14. Joining him on the bubble with the same mark will be shin-yumaku M13 Yoshikaze. My banzuke guessing has admittedly been laughable but considering the available choices, I’m still penciling both of them in makuuchi for Haru.
 Sliding off the bubble and definitely dropping to juryo will be M16 Katayama at 6-9, M15 twins Shunketsu and Wakatoba with 4-11, along with Hatsu’s third kyujo casualty, M13 Tochisakae at 4-10-1.
 
Tochinonada
 
 Definitely returning to makuuchi will be Tochinonada himself – he of juryo yusho fame by virtue of his 13 win showing at the top of that banzuke. Also seemingly a lock to return is the indestructible Tamakasuga, the juryo runner-up with his 12-3 at J6. Other probable returnees are Ushiomaru and Otsukasa.

Now for the Upset of the Basho. The Jester was surely hiding under the dohyo with his sights set on Hakuho on Day 12. Trailing Tochiazuma by one win, he had to whip Asashoryu or his yusho dream was over. In

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