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SOS - Shinjinrui on Sumo |
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Chris Gould
Chris sinks his teeth into how sumo can go about pulling in the younger
fans - currently so noticeable by their absence. The first of a
three-part series.
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Sumo World Championships |
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Mark Buckton
Mark Buckton reports from Sakai near Osaka, site of the latest Sumo World Championships.
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Rikishi of Old |
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Joe Kuroda
Joe Kuroda finishes off his look at former yokozuna Minanogawa.
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Sumo 101 / Eric Evaluates |
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Eric Blair
Eric expains sumo fan terminology - with the inevitable twist - for
those just getting into the sport and still subject to the know it alls.
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Age stands still for no man |
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Joe Kuroda
Former ozeki Kiyokuni will retire in November under the compulsory '65
and you are out' rule. JK takes a look at this quiet earth mover.
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Feel the Sumo |
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Eduardo de Paz
Read and feel the renowned Leonishiki's passion for all things sumo at his first live event.
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SFM Interview |
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Mark Buckton
Mark interviews Colin Carroll - again - Irish star of Sakai.
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Photo Bonanza |
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See the Aki Basho bonanza as well as the largest collection of pics you
are likely to see on the Sumo World Championships earlier in October.
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Aki Basho Summary |
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Lon Howard
Lon wraps the September Aki Basho and throws in some henka sighting results for good measure.
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Lower Division Rikishi |
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Mikko Mattila
The lower divisions, their members and results get the once over thanks to Mikko's eye of things 'beneath the curtain'.
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Kimarite Focus |
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Mikko Mattila
Mikko's latest clarification of several of the sport's plethora of kimarite.
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Amateur Angles |
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Howard Gilbert
Howard Gilbert - manager of New Zealand's amateur sumo team takes a look at the approaching Russians.
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Kokugi Konnections |
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Todd Lambert
Click on Todd's bimonthly focus on three of the best sumo sites online.
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Fan Debate |
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Facilitator - Lon Howard
Jesse Lake and Rich Pardoe hammer out their differences on a current furor - promotion criteria.
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SFM Cartoons |
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Benny Loh & Stephen Thompson
In this issue's cartoon bonanza, sit back and enjoy Benny Loh's
offerings and put a caption to Stephen Thompson's picture to win
yourselves a banzuke.
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Sumo Odds ’n’ Ends |
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SFM's interactive elements including Henka Sightings, Elevator Rikishi and Eternal Banzuke!
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Readers' Letters |
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See what our readers had to say since we last hit your screens.
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Sumo Quiz |
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The Quizmaster
Answer the Qs and win yourself next basho’s banzuke.
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may have stemmed largely from his rather lax attitude towards
training – reportedly, he was not able to do a mata-wari (leg split) until he reached ozeki.
In late 1973, Kyokuni began to suffer from heart-related ailments, and
at the age of 32 , at the January 1974 basho, he retired from active
sumo life. He took the name Kiriyama oyakata, then with the passing of
his shisho, he inherited Isegahama beya on April 7, 1977.
For a while, the oyakata was running the heya smoothly with his wife
Sanae whom he married in May 1971. Then on August 12, 1985, an event
that shook Japan engulfedthe
oyakata's family. Japan Air Line Flight 123, going from Tokyo to
Osaka, crashed into a mountain range in Gunma Prefecture, killing 520
people on board including Isegahama oyakata's wife and his two
children. Another well-known passenger on this flight was Kyu Sakamoto
who is still remembered fondly for his song, "Ue wo Muuite Aruko (Let's
Walk On while Looking Up)" or more commonly known as "Sukiyaki Song"
outside Japan).
After this tragedy, the oyakata appeared to have lost his will and
passion to build a powerhouse heya, and the heya began to
deteriorate. Some even said that the oyakata was seen more often
in a pachinko parlor than on the training dohyo. He re-married,
but reports permeated that the new okamisan (oyakata’s wife) did not
appear to be fully enthused with her role. Today, the once mighty
Isegahama-beya, with dozens of recruits when the oyakata took
over, is down to two recruits - jonidan Shosho and
jonokuchi, Fukunokuni, each finishing with 3
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wins and 4 losses this past Aki basho.
The heya currently has a toshiyori - Wakafuji (former M1 Katsuhikari),
who is scheduled to retire in August 2007; wakaimonogashira Shiraiwa
(former J7 Shiraiwa); sewanin Saisu (former M2 Saisu); two gyoji (one
the sanyaku ranked Shikimori Kandayu), two yobidashi (one the associate
tate-yobidashi Hideo), and one tokoyama.
In a weekly magazine article published two years ago, Isegahama oyakata
complained of the lack of spirited sumo bouts, even hinting at "yaocho"
(fixed) bouts. He also implied that there was wide spread usage of
steroids among the rikishi and a lot of money changing hands in dealing
with toshiyori shares and college rikishi recruitment. He
expressed his bitterness when his nephews, the current maegashira
Tamanoshima and makushita Tamamitsukni, then in college, were snapped
up by rival Kataonami-beya, which had more financial resources.
As the articles contained unsubstantiated comments, the oyakata was
called in by the Sumo Association directors to explain his accusations.
The oyakata responded that his comment was overblown, but
nevertheless, his executive rank was stripped away. However he was
reinstated as auditor two months later. Wakafuji oyakata, from his
heya, was the chairman of the audit committee and he may have opened
the door for Isegahama oyakata to return to the Association's fold.
The fate of his heya at the time of writing is not clear, but in all
likelihood it will be disbanded, and those with the heya will be
transferred to another heya within the Ichimon group such as Kiriyama
or Asashiyama.
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Isegahama Seinosuke
Shikona:
| Wakaikuni => Umenosato => Kiyokuni Katsuo
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| Real name: |
Tadao Sato |
| Born on: |
November 20, 1941 |
| Born in: |
Ogachi-machi (now Yuzawa-shi) Akita Prefecture |
| Heya: |
Araiso => Isegahama |
| Dohyo debut: |
September 1956 |
| Juryo debut: |
May 1963 |
| Makuuchi debut: |
November 1963 |
| Final basho: |
January 1974 |
| Highest rank: |
Ozeki |
| Height: |
182 cm
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| Weight: |
134 kg |
| Favorite techniques: |
Hidari-yotsu, yorikiri |
| Shukunsho: |
3
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| Ginosho: |
4
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| Yusho: |
1 (Makuuchi) |
| Record: |
103 basho, 706 wins, 507 losses(3 fusen), 32 kyujo, 1210 appearances, 0.582 winning percentage.
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| Makuuchi record: |
62 basho, 506 wins, 384 losses (3 fusen), 31 kyujo, 887 appearances, 0.569 winning percentage
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| Ozeki record: |
28 basho, 233 wins, 147 losses (3 fusen), 31 kyujo, 277 appearances, 0.613 winning percentage |
| Basho: |
Banzuke-gai 1, Jonokuchi 1, Jonidan 4, Sandanme 6, Makushita 26, Juryo 3
Hiramaku 15, Komusubi 7, Sekiwake 12, Ozeki 28.
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