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.

the dead the last two days to scratch out an 8-7 kachi-koshi, while Kaio, although starting slowly, went on a hot streak in the middle of the basho and then cruised in to 9-6. Neither man looked good doing it, especially Kotooshu. The condition of his injured right knee seems to have regressed and some feel he may be risking a career-debilitating injury by refusing kyujo. When healthy – in my opinion – he is the strongest ozeki, but without complete recovery, he may be on the road to becoming the forgotten ozeki.

Considering the recent past, four of five ozeki avoiding kadoban is worth at least a high five, although crowing would be a bit over the top since one must also realize that Hakuho is the only one of the five who is not currently and continually threatened by a potentially serious injury.

Although it turned out that way, the yusho race wasn't strictly a two man affair since Chiyotaikai didn't get his third loss until day 12; while the amazing Baruto, after a 2-2 start, began to manhandle his sub-joi jin opponents so completely that fans began to cite the name of Raiden when trying to describe his

Baruto














domination. Here was a shin-
nyu-maku that some were thinking might soon be invincible. He didn't look it against Miyabiyama on day 14 though, as he went for a slap-
down right after the tachiai and was run back and out before he could ask himself, “Why'd I do that?” Then on senshuraku, he was outsmarted by a slick tachiai sidestep by Hakuho, who grabbed the back of his mawashi and used Baruto's own momentum to thrust him face down. One wonders if Raiden was ever schooled in the same manner, but wondering is all we can do there. For his efforts, Baruto shared the kantosho (fighting spirit prize) with Asasekiryu… more on him later.

So after a disheartening beginning, the basho had ballooned into a real happening at the end and now fans were
licking their chops, waiting for the kettei-sen. Funny – that line would have suited the Haru basho perfectly, as well. At any rate, Miyabiyama and Hakuho retreated to the shitaku-beya to prepare for the basho-decider. Miyabiyama mostly rested, but Hakuho was seen vigorously practicing tachiai while digesting counsel from his fellow Mongolian grandee, Kyokushuzan. Watching that exchange take place in that setting was alone worth the price of a satellite dish, but the match that followed was not shabby entertainment either.


Hakuho













It was 45 seconds of protein-
packed sumo in which Hakuho made a convincing case for the additional weight he's put on during the past year. He stood rooted to all that Miyabiyama thrust at him to eventually get

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