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.

been ramped up. The ‘promising’ and ‘up-and-comer’ tags have fallen from his mawashi for good now, and Nagoya may find him at his lowest maegashira rank ever.

A shade less disappointing were M3 Aminishiki and M6 Tamanoshima, posting 5-10 and 6-9 respectively. Aminishiki had collected two ozeki scalps, but his dismal outing this time included no upsets and one fusensho (Asashoryu). As for Tamanoshima, ever since he overcame his painful rib injuries in the second half of the Hatsu basho to scratch out a 7-8, he has continued to sink, even though the injuries are no longer evident. Whether he's healed or not, if he can't rack up double digit wins in Nagoya from even further down the banzuke, you can label him an ex-joi-jin, unless you've already done so.

Even though M4 Takekaze's 2-13 showing hasn't been mentioned as a major disappointment, it's not forgotten. It's just that he lost only two more bouts than I thought he would so it wasn't that glaring. A budding elevator star, he'll be back in double digits in Nagoya. M10 Tochinohana has had several short-lived runs through makuuchi in the past six years

Takekaze















and may be nearing the end of another. Despite his ‘upset’ of Baruto, he only had four other wins and may need a kachi-koshi in Nagoya to stay in the division.

Shin-nyu-maku M11 Homasho picked up many admirers with his grit and broad technical array, but unfortunately a thigh injury derailed his promising start and he lost his last five bouts to finish 6-9. He will continue in makuuchi, though.

M4 Tokitenku's 5-10 offering appears to stamp him as another narrow-ranging elevator man – way too good to avoid the bottom but not nearly good enough to challenge the top. Also performing as expected with their 6-9 showings were M1 Kakizoe, M8 Kasugao, M9 Tochinonada and M10
Tamakasuga. M15 twins Buyuzan and Kitazakura are still pushing the makuuchi envelope with their 7-8 marks but they stay inside, as the only two demotees to juryo will be M14 Katayama at 5-10 and M16 Tokitsuumi at 2-9-4. Tokitsuumi announced kyujo on day 1 with a back injury and returned on day 6 to finish the basho, but his two wins after that did nothing to advance his cause and his gallant efforts could have retarded his recovery. Toyozakura won the juryo yusho at 10-5 and will now re-join big brother Kitazakura in makuuchi. Also coming up from juryo will be makuuchi newcomer Daimanazuru.

For the Upset of the Basho, it has to be Asashoryu's tumble off the dohyo at the hands of Wakanosato on day 2. The reported ligament damage to his arm not only took him out of the basho but reportedly, could keep him off the dohyo in Nagoya, thereby greasing the skids for the promotion hopes of Hakuho and Miyabiyama. Asashoryu himself was aided in this way when he advanced to the top, but since there are other such historical examples, the weight of the occurrence would actually fall short of irony if he

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