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.


Kagamisato Kiyoji: sumo's 42nd yokozuna
(Photo used courtesy Nihon Sumo Kyokai)
 admirer of yokozuna Futabayama, decided to join the great yokozuna in his new heya, Futabayama Dojo (precursor of the current Tokitsukaze-beya). He took all of his recruits with him including the future sekiwake Fudoiwa and maegashira Kiryugawa as well as Kagamisato. As a result, from the time he was a jonokuchi rikishi, Kagamisato was able to receive personal training sessions from the great master himself.

Ably guided by Futabayama, Kagamisato immediately began to show great promise, first by winning a jonidan yusho in January 1942, then a sandanme yusho in January 1943. For the following May basho, he was promoted to makushita, but just prior to the basho during a training session against Fudoiwa, Kagamisato seriously injured his right knee. Enduring the pain, Kagamisato somehow managed to finish the basho but he could not achieve a kachikoshi, and recorded 3 wins and 5 losses. Kagamisato realized that he no longer could depend on quick offensive-
minded tsuppari-style sumo to beat his opponents and needed to change his sumo style to the more deliberate migi-yotsu form.

Next
1941, Kiyoji made his dohyo debut with a new shikona of Kagamisato. He was 173 cm tall and weighed 78 kg.
 In May 1942, an event that forever changed Kagamisato's sumo life occurred. His shisho, Kumegawa oyakata, an ardent