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.

  edition of the world-renowned Lonely Planet guidebook. That more and more of the bullet trains are now skipping the city altogether speaks volumes. Even Lonely Planet, with its tendency to over-investigate, only gives the place 8 pages; 3 taken up with maps and another on how to get there! Other honbasho cities command, in order, 81 pages (Tokyo), 16 (Osaka) and 11 (Fukuoka).

Sumo-wise, Nagoya is worth a visit and is, according to sumo folklore, supposedly a place ‘known’ for upsets, which means Nagoyans must have the longest noses in Nippon the amount of times this myth is trotted out. But given a little deeper checking and consideration, it appears the only reason Nagoya is so often referred to as ‘the’ place so much fails to go according to script is that there is absolutely nothing else to say about the city the eleven other months of the year. Bar the numerous miso-based delicacies the locals so covet and boast of, Nagoya when the rikishi depart must be one grey, unappetizing place to live or have to visit. Thus, methinks started the claims of ‘upset,’ ‘unexpected’ and ‘untoward’ – uso*, I respond to such claims – uso!

Admittedly the prefecture of
Aichi does turn out a lot of rikishi (the 2006 Makunouchi and Juryo Rikishi Directory listed Aichi as second only to Osaka in terms of rikishi in ozumo, with 47 active. Osaka was the listed ‘shushin’ of 53 individuals, while Tokyo lay in 3rd place with 46 rikishi representing its 12 million strong population.

The heat, of course, plays its role during the basho, but to blame the overworked and overstretched mercury for just about anything and everything that goes askew during the annual tournament is stretching the truth – well, just a tad too far.
 Consider the only two things I would consider of surprise over the past thirty-plus years in Nagoya:

a. Only twice in the Heisei Era (we are currently in the 18th year of Heisei) has anyone who didn't go on to ozeki or yokozuna status won the tournament (Kotofuji as M13 and Mitoizumi as M1). Admirable achievements, but 2 of 18? Hardly a common occurrence.

b. Former sekiwake Takamiyama's July 1972 yusho (with a 13-2 record) did make him the first completely non-

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July 1992 banzuke – the first banzuke in over 60 years to be headed by ozeki (Akebono and Konishiki) following the May 1992 retirement of yokozuna Hokutoumi (Photo by Mark Buckton)