Nagoya Nears
Eric Blair
As Nagoya nears, EB gets a head start on the pack by focussing on points of interest, past and present surrounding sumo's hottest basho

Rikishi of Old
Joe Kuroda
The 42nd yokozuna Kagamisato falls under the JK microscope

Heya Peek
Barbara Ann Klein
Kokonoe-beya and the Chiyo Boys

SFM Interview
Mark Buckton
SFM's Ed-in-Chief interviews Estonian up and comer Baruto

Sumo 101
Barbara Ann Klein
SFM's Editor looks at all the twists and turns involved in the tsunauchi-shiki and adds a photo bonanza to boot

Photo Bonanza
See the Natsu
Basho and Kokonoe-beya photo bonanzas

Natsu Basho Summary
Lon Howard
Lon gives us his Natsu Basho summary, along with the henka sightings results

Lower Division Rikishi
Mikko Mattila
Mikko Mattila lets you know what is going on down below the curtain

Nagoya Ones to Watch
Mark Buckton
MB's mixed bag of things to look out for in Nagoya

Kimarite Focus
Mikko Mattila
Our man Mikko takes us on a tour of several defensive oriented kimarite

Amateur Angles
Howard Gilbert
The first of our regular column pieces on the amateur sumo scene from a man who knows more than most

Sumo Game
Bruce Rae
For a look at his very own: PTYW (Pick The Yusho Winners)

Sumo in Print
Barbara Ann Klein
SFM's Editor reviews the newly published biography of Akebono, Gaijin Yokozuna – but sees it as more than just a biography

Kokugi Connections
Todd Lambert
Check out Todd's bimonthly focus on 3 of the WWW's best sumo sites around

Fan Debate
Facilitator – Lon Howard
Sumo author Mina Hall and long long time fan Jim Bitgood discuss how to make sumo more entertaining – if such a concept is even necessary

SFM Cartoons
Benny Loh & Stephen Thompson		  
Sit back and enjoy the offerings of sumo's premier artists

Let’s Hear From You
What was it that
made you a sumo fan? James Vath in rural Japan lets us in on his gateway to the sport

Readers’ Letters
See what our readers had to say since we last went out

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

  don't think so. If there is still more entertainment put into it in the next 50 years, will its ritual and tradition be harmed by that? No, I don't think so.

I agree that making a profit is not a high priority for the NSK. That's ok – not making a profit is one thing, but not being able to cover your expenses is another. Not making a profit is one thing, but losing relevance with your fan base is another. The hard truth is that the culture is changing and young Japanese boys and men can no longer relate to spending their youth waking up in a boarding house at four in the morning, making no salary while getting yelled at much of the time – the military does that for a while but at least they pay you something (And I would not be surprised to find that the SDF folks that I used to work with were making more money than I was!) In today's Japan, attracting more Japanese rikishi means offering them a lifestyle they can more readily relate to, and that is going to cost money. Promoting the sport so that more people can relate to it is going to cost money. Yesteryear's economic model for sumo isn't workable any more.

Speaking of promotions, the NSK lost a gold mine when
Konishiki decided to leave sumo. As I understand it, one reason he left was that the organization took too large a cut of any income he generated from outside of sumo after he retired. If the Kyokai had allowed him to simply pay a moderate membership fee instead of taking a cut of his income off the top, they would have had a gold mine there. His popularity would have rubbed off on sumo in general. As a retired sumotori, he would easily have improved the popularity of sumo from his work as an entertainer.

MH: Naturally, over time, all cultures change. Sumo started out with religious origins in the Nara period (645-794), to part of military training in the Kamakura period (1185-1334), to a form of entertainment for samurai in the 16th century, and then finally to an organized association in the 1800's. The professional model that exists today has been constantly evolving, just at a somewhat slow and conservative pace.

Besides the brighter colors of mawashi that are commonly worn now, some other changes include going from four tournaments a year to six, the use of instant replay, allowing foreigners to enter the sport, new rules to the kyujo system,
and revamped jungyo and overseas tours. But the subservient way of life in sumo isn't likely to change anytime soon. Sumo is a tough sell to any young man because an initial life of servitude is never glamorous. But then again, an organization based on hierarchy isn't just practiced in sumo, but in nearly all aspects of Japanese life. Japanese society, whether you are entering a school, club, private company, public office, or even within the family nucleus, is based on hierarchy and seniority. Who pours the tea, where one sits, who eats first, who bathes first, who bows the lowest, are all set rules that every Japanese person follows, not just sumo wrestlers. Can you believe that some sushi chef apprentices aren't even allowed to cut fish for the first five years of their training? They are sent to the back of the restaurant to do the prepping, the cleaning, and to look after the master chef's needs. (Does this sound familiar?) They are expected to observe and patiently learn all aspects of a sushi house at a very slow pace that only the most dedicated can endure. The Japanese are true believers that perseverance pays off and that everyone must start at the

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