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.

  then weighing over 160 kg, lost to maegashira west 4 Futaseyama on day 1, but won the next 14 bouts to claim his first yusho. Having received a personal lesson on tachiai from Futabayama, Kagamisato displayed far sharper tachiai than his opponents and quickly overwhelmed them. Futabayama also taught him to step in hard with his right foot, to get inside his opponent with his right hand, but then to quickly go after his opponent's mawashi with his left hand.

Although this basho featured an excellent showing by Kagamisato, it was marred by controversy as all four presiding yokozuna had finished with less than stellar records. Yokozuna Terukuni lost his first two bouts and announced his retirement. Yokozuna Chiyonoyama missed seven days and had a 4 win/ 4 loss/ 7 kyujo record. Yokozuna Azumafuji won his first two bouts, but lost the next four before going kyujo with a record of 2 win/ 5 loss/ 8 kyujo for the basho. The fourth yokozuna, Haguroyama, barely managed a kachikoshi with 9 wins and 6 losses. The Kyokai executives desperately wanted to inject new blood into the top rank and proposed to have Kagamisato promoted to yokozuna. However, the Yokozuna Deliberation
Committee felt that Kagamisato did not warrant the promotion yet and initially rejected the request, but the Kyokai forced the issue in the end and Kagamisato became the 42nd yokozuna.

Kagamisato's yokozuna period is distinguished by two extremes – either very good or just mediocre performances. In the 1955 September basho he had 14 wins and 1 loss and won his second yusho, followed by another 14-1 basho, winning the yusho yet again. Two basho later he again had a 14-1 basho and won his fourth yusho. His yokozuna dohyo-iri, modeled after his shisho Futabayama's, was nothing short of grandiose and majestic, and was eagerly anticipated by sumo fans at every basho.

His quiet demeanor made Kagamisato less of a popular figure when compared to his contemporaries such as Yoshibayama, Tochinishiki, Chiyonoyama and Wakanohana I. However, it is appropriate to note that Kagamisato had kachikoshi records against most of them, so he certainly was more than their equal. In fact, Kagamisato had a 10 win and 11 loss record against Yoshibayama, but was 15-8 against Chiyonoyama, 15-9
against Wakanohana, and 16-14 against Tochinishiki.

In the January 1958 basho, his rival yokozuna, Yoshibayama, who had joined ozumo in the same year and was promoted to ozeki in the same basho, announced his retirement after suffering a fifth loss on day 8. Hearing the news, the reporters' attention shifted immediately to Kagamisato who had 5 wins and 4 losses by day 9. Already finding their presence distasteful, Kagamisato dismissed the reporters by stating curtly that if he lost 5 bouts, he too would retire. The announcement made a big splash the next day and the rest of his bouts were eagerly watched by sumo fans.

Kagamisato displayed great sumo in the last six days of the basho, only losing to Araiwa on day 12 and Wakanohana on day 13, but beating both Tochinishiki and Chiyonoyama to finish with 9 wins and 6 losses. He proved that he could still compete well and fulfill his responsibility as yokozuna. But true to his words, Kagamisato announced his retirement after the basho.

Many thought if Kagamisato

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