Yokozuna Comparisons
Joe Kuroda
SFM’s historian, JK, wraps his two-part article on the greatest of the tsuna wearers

Amateur Sumo's Global Aspirations
Courtesy: International Sumo Federation
What exactly is it and furthermore, what does it do? The ISF explain themselves and their purpose in existing

Rikishi of Old
Joe Kuroda
Man or myth? Sumo's first yokozuna comes under the spotlight

Heya Peek
Barbara Ann Klein
Tokitsukaze-beya and its famous find themselves the target of Barbara's peek into life inside the heya

SFM Interview
Mark Buckton
Featuring interviews with amateur sumo's European Sumo Union General Secretary and the President of the newly founded Irish Sumo Federation

Sumo 101
Barbara Ann Klein
Would chanko exist without sumo? What is chanko anyway? Find out in Sumo 101

Photo Bonanza
See the Haru
Basho through the eyes of the fans in the seats as SFM gives the mantle of photographer(s) for this basho to Barbara & Gerald Patten. And don't miss our all-Mongolian Bonanza supplied by our Editor, Barbara Ann Klein

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

Lower Division Rikishi
Mikko Mattila
Mikko Mattila covers the lower division goings on like nobody else around

Natsu Basho Forecast
Mark Buckton
Mark Buckton glances back to look forward in his ones to look out for come May

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

Sumo in Print
Mark Buckton
Our gaming thread takes a break for April so we can look at the Spanish language book on the sport not long since released

Kokugi Connections
Todd Lambert
Todd’s bimonthly focus on 3 of the WWW's best sumo sites today

Fan Debate
Facilitator – Lon Howard
April's man VS monkey debate covers the issue of reducing the number of honbasho

SFM Cartoons
Benny Loh & Stephen Thompson
Sit back and enjoy the offerings

Let’s Hear From You
What was it that
made you a sumo fan? Thierry Perran lets us in on his reasons for loving this sport

Readers’ Letters
See what some
See what our featured letter is for this issue

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

  basho in one form or another – and now you want to cut them down even further? No, no, no!

When a young man joins a heya with the express wish of becoming a successful sumotori, he has a good idea what he is letting himself in for – the strict regimen, discipline and toilet duties – but still it is his chosen career. Whatever nationality he is, no longer is this just a sport for Japanese boys following in the family traditions, but it is the chosen path for boys from Japan, Mongolia, Bulgaria, China, Russia, South Korea and many more. Now that is the international appeal of sumo, Kaiopectator.

On a personal level, let me say that if it was up to me, I would increase the number of basho, but I know that would be too much for the sumotori so let's keep it at a nice even half dozen.

KKSM: Okay, Paul, you've convinced me! I agree that four basho is too few. In fact, six basho are too few! We should have constant basho! As soon as Kotooshu gets up, let's push him right back out there!

Seriously – well, seriously for at least a moment – you admit that the rikishi need time to recover from injuries, that
increasing the number of basho would be too much for the sumotori, and that the current kosho rules are inadequate. Well, if we really care about protecting these men, why is nothing done to protect the men better against falls from the dohyo? My unscientific observation is that more injuries occur as the result of unprotected falls off the dohyo than from anything else. It would detract little from the sport in any way simply to provide more cushioning or less elevation.

One thing is certain: we can't resolve debates like this when we don't even share a set of objectives. What is the goal of the Nihon Sumo Kyokai? Its mission is not simply to sell sumo to a wider world. If it were, we could shoot fireballs into the air during the introductions, as they do in the National Basketball Association. It's not to invite the wider world unquestioningly into sumo. And, evidently, it's not even to protect the rikishi against injuries. Improvements and modernizations may simply conflict with a mission to preserve and protect a time-honored national sport. However ambitious we may be to see more sumo on our TVs abroad, no one commented upon
the irony of news reports showing Asashoryu intently following Japan's success in the World Baseball Classic. Baseball, soccer, golf, skiing, tennis....the sumo establishment has no ambition to compete with or match the popularity of these sports.

So, we will continue to see the popularity of sumo shrink. Its TV time will shrink. Its enrollment will shrink. Its champions will continue to get injured and retire early.

And when a grand champion retires early, it's a significant financial loss, of branding and good will. Consider, for example, what happened in the NBA when Michael Jordan retired. The NSK should be devising ways to ensure that the Takanohanas and Wakanohanas of sumo can fight into their 40's, not force them to step down when youthful injuries waylay them. Sumo will never be a worldwide sport as long as it keeps lopping off the careers of its young champions. And, lest the significance of the gauche topic of money be underestimated as a factor in universal appeal of a sport, I should point out that the World Series in baseball was not so

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