Sumo Fan Magazine

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.

Let's Hear From You!
What Made You A Fan?

by James Vath

roommate's first name was Kayo.) I looked it up and Sekiwake Kaio went 9-6, while M6 Wakanosato went 6-9 at Aki 99. Also, sadly, my interest in sumo has proved more enduring than Ms. Sato's interest in me.

My failure to develop any serious interest in sumo while living in the U.S., or for that matter, during the year and a half I spent in Japan in 1990-92 while in the Navy, was, I'm sure, due to a lack of exposure to the sport. I am continually amazed at the number of sumo fans around the world and the variety of countries they reside in. I can say with some certainty that if I didn't live in Japan I wouldn't have developed into much of a fan at all. And someday in the distant future if/when I move back to the U.S. my interest will most likely decrease somewhat. Being able to watch sumo on T.V. every day of a basho for 3 hours, being able to go to at least 1 basho a year in person for a couple days, having sumo magazines in the book store, sumo articles in my morning newspaper, etc… all are wonderful advantages to living here. The atmosphere at a basho, the intimate surroundings, the energy, the

Next

Each issue of SFM, We’ll ask one of you
to tell us something about you and sumo.
Think you have something readers would like to know?
Write our letters section!
Enjoy.

I had only seen sumo a few times before coming to Japan in January 2001. It was, also, always unexpected, at completely random times and places. I would be camped out in front of a TV somewhere and someone would change the channel and, “Oh wait, hold up, this looks cool.” A couple memories stick out.

At the sports bar across the street from the university, watching sumo on the TV mounted over the pool table. Don't ask me why people need a screen above the pool table. I don't know. I knew nothing about sumo then, like my friends, but we all watched; partly out of the novelty of it and partly because of the interest and excitement sumo generates in people. Even people who aren't really serious sumo

fans, when they watch a sumo match you can see them tensing up in reaction to the match, being affected by the speed and dynamic power of the wrestlers, not to mention the size of them. Sumo has impact. So, we spent an hour or so with a strange and exciting sport that afternoon. It was cool.

Another time, I was spending Thanksgiving Day at my folks' house with my soon-to- be Japanese girlfriend, and sumo somehow ended up on the TV we were parked in front of. It was fun to have something Japanese pop up when I was spending the day with her. Looking back, it would have been Day 10 of the Aki Basho, 1999. Her last name was Sato and we were amusedly disappointed that something-
something-sato (Wakanosato) had lost and Kaio had won (her