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.

both hands on Miya's mawashi with his favored left-outside grip. After that, it was two goliaths straining and groaning, trying to outlast each other, but in the end Hakuho was able to use his new bulk and old belt mastery to gradually lift and push Miyabiyama over the edge and out. His first yusho that so many fans had thought would come much sooner was finally in hand. It was clear that he was both more exhausted and happy than he'd ever been, and also clear that the exhaustion was not purely physical.

If Miyabiyama had at least offered a faint clue that he might be about to ‘shock the world,’ Asasekiryu had kept the world in complete darkness.

Asasekiryu















Ever since his 13-2 jun-yusho surprise at M12 in Haru '04 and the descent that followed, he
has been the steadfast example of the capable, sometimes crafty but never auspicious career mid-
maegashira rikishi. And now, with a chronic knee condition that he refused to take a step back to fix, it seemed his 10-5 Haru mark at M8 was exemplary enough. So what was he doing here knocking off six of the eight sanyaku men he faced, including four ozeki? Since he didn't offer a clue, I don't have one. Somehow he seemed more ‘stable’… how's that? His 10-5 performance will vault him to komusubi for the first time and into his second consecutive early-basho meat-grinder at Nagoya, where a similar performance might start some hearts pumping. Together, he and Miyabiyama have rubbed my face in something (still sniffing what it is), after what I said about their chances in April, so I'll tread lightly now and just applaud their efforts. Yaay!

The other sekiwake, Kotomitsuki, slogged his way to one more 8-7 squeaker, so he and Miyabiyama will swap east and west positions (Miya taking east) for Nagoya. Kotomitsuki had better turn it on. Now hanging onto sekiwake by a thread with four consecutive 8-7 squeakers, the cast of characters he goes up against is
getting younger and stronger, while he just gets older. Just below, the seasoned Kyokutenho tried showing the komusubi ropes to the newcomer, Ama, but Ama took his expected beating with only four wins and hopefully paid little heed to 'Tenho, whose five wins offered little to learn from at the komusubi job site.

Since Kyokutenho and Ama will both vacate the komusubi rank, that leaves one spot open there to go alongside Asasekiryu, which will most likely be filled by the budding ozeki-in-waiting, Kisenosato, who made his case with an 8-7 mark at M1. That will be judged alongside the 9-6 posted at M3 by the other developing native hopeful, Kotoshogiku. For both to be promoted, an extra komusubi slot would have to be opened up, which hasn't happened since Natsu 2000.

The last major pleasant surprise of the basho (henka-
haters excepted) came from the aforementioned Kyokushuzan, who was assumed to be out of his depth at M5, in light of his four consecutive make-koshi that had pulled him ominously close to juryo at M13 just two basho ago. This latest boost up

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