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.

seemed certain to send him tumbling back to ‘where he belonged,’ but the wily coyote dumped the entire grab bag of tricks onto the dohyo and went on a mission to disprove the new adage that, “You can't henka all the people all the time.” His eight documented henkas produced six wins and that was enough to spring a 9-6 thunderbolt on the dazed opposition. His only two henkas unaccompanied by wins were against tourney-leaders Hakuho and Miyabiyama… a message there for all the rest to heed.

There were only two other encouraging performances of note. One came from M8 Hakurozan, whose 10-5 was impressive because he beat three of the four higher-rankers he faced – losing only to Asasekiryu – and also gave a strong and entertaining tussle to Baruto. He now – for the first time – might be ranked higher than his older brother, Roho, who could only manage 8-7 at M5. If that doesn't light a fire under Roho…starting to wonder about that guy. The other bright spot was from Yoshikaze, whose 9-6 at M14 was encouraging enough, but he also made some use of the mawashi, and his high-motor thrusting, side-
stepping and harite action reminded me of a youngish

Yoshikaze















Terao. His day 14 win, a furious tit-for-tat flurry with Kitazakura, topped many lists for the most engrossing bout of the basho.

In the ‘OK but nothing special’ grouping lie M13 Hokutoriki at 10-5, M7e Futeno at 9-6; along with those at 8-7: the above-said Roho, M6 Kokkai, M7 Dejima, M12 Takamisakari, M12 Tosanoumi,

Toyonoshima













 M13 Toyonoshima and M16 Jumonji. Takamisakari stops his four-basho make-koshi slide with a senshuraku win over Roho, and Jumonji, at the bare bottom of the division, hangs on to fight another day inside the curtain.

I couldn't decide which was the most disappointing performance of the basho – either Wakanosato's 6-9 at M2 or Iwakiyama with 7-8 at M9. I'm going with Iwakiyama since Wakanosato had already offered signs he had something to prove at M2, and simply fell short. He had begun a slight fade even before his injury at Aki last year and so I didn't have big hopes there anyway…but it's still disappointing to see someone with so much potential just losing it. Iwakiyama is another story. Since his first of two cameo sanyaku appearances in Kyushu '03, he only dipped below M6 one time, and after his 4-11 disaster at M3 in Haru sent him sliding down to M9, it was expected he'd wipe the floor with the competition down there, and maybe stay in the yusho hunt for 7-10 days; but after a 7-3 start, his 0-5 stumble home seems to suggest that the level of competition in the mid-maegashira ranks has

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