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.

  By 1944, World War II had forced non-sekitori rikishi to contribute to the national war effort. With his fellow Ichimon rikishi, Kagamisato was recruited to perform transportation work. This was followed by a call to duty in September 1944, to serve with the 69th Army Regiment based in Hiratsuka, Aomori as a Private 2nd Class. While still serving there, Kagamisato had an opportunity to hear a radio broadcast of the November basho and learned of Azumafuji's win over Futabayama. Despite having lost quite a bit of weight, and seeing his future looking dim, Kagamisato promised himself that he was going to do everything he could to get back to ozumo, and to one day, beat Azumafuji to repay all that Futabayama had done for him.

Kagamisato was able to return to Ryogoku soon after his discharge, but by then almost all of Tokyo had been leveled by fire-bombing and there was hardly any place left for him to stay. In the closed-to-the-public June 1945 abbreviated basho, shortened due to the danger of air bombing, makushita west 1 Kagamisato achieved a 3 win and 2 loss record, ensuring his promotion to juryo for the following basho. In the first
basho after the end of World War II, the November 1945 basho, Kagamisato, debuting at juryo west 11, finished strong with 7 wins and 3 losses, beating one of his life-long rivals, Tochinishiki. However, this basho also marked the end of the Futabayama era as the great yokozuna retired from active sumo. Upon his retirement, Futabayama gave Kagamisato one of three kesho-
mawashi that he managed to save from the war period. This gesture moved the simple-
hearted man from Northern Japan so much that Kagamisato went on a brutal training regimen trying to reward Futabayama for his kindness.

Kagamisato quickly passed through juryo and made his makuuchi debut at the June 1947 basho. In the October 1949 basho, as maegashira east 1, Kagamisato secured a 12 win, 3 loss record, second only to the eventual yusho winner Chiyonoyama's 13-2 (one of the two losses Chiyonoyama suffered was against Kagamisato). For his brilliant performance, Kagamisato received two sansho awards, shukun-sho and kanto-sho, and was the first rikishi in sumo history to receive both awards simultaneously. However, for
Kagamisato, the most gratifying moment came on day 4 when he faced and defeated yokozuna Azumafuji, the man who was instrumental in putting his shisho, Futabayama, into retirement. He had finally fulfilled his personal quest – the pledge he made to himself while trying to make a comeback after his war duty.

Kagamisato quickly climbed up the banzuke and was promoted to sekiwake, skipping komusubi, in January 1950. By this time his weight has increased to over 140 kg and his signature belly had become more pronounced. In January 1951, along with his career rival Yoshibayama, Kagamisato was promoted to ozeki. He was 28 years old. There is a well-known anecdote about his ozeki promotion: Kagamisato never imagined he'd be promoted to ozeki, so rather than wait for the news, he went off to see his friend who was returning to Osaka. He heard of his promotion in an announcement over the Tokyo Station's public address system and had to get back to his heya in a hurry to greet the Kyokai messengers.

In his sixth ozeki basho, in January 1953, Kagamisato,

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