Steven Pascal-Joiner / William Titus
A wiz with a pen and a wiz with a lens get together with SFM to share
their time with Azumazeki Oyakata - Takamiyama as was - with the wider
sumo following world.
Jeff Kennel
First time heya visitor Jeff Kennel wrote about, photographed and even
made a video of his time spent at Arashio Beya prior to the Kyushu
Basho. All to be found within.
See behind the scenes at the Kyushu Basho, morning training in Arashio
Beya through the eyes of an artist and exactly what the Azumazeki lads
had to eat halfway though the July Nagoya Basho. All originals, all
seen here and nowhere else, and all for you.
What was it that made you a sumo fan? Starting with issue #10, the SFM
staff will reveal a little of their own routes into sumo fandom -
starting with Benny Loh.
You know how when you meet people from say, Hawaii and you say, "Wow, that
must be great. I'd love to be able to go to the beach everyday," and
then they tell you that they haven't been to the beach in like 5 years?
Substitute me, Gaikokujin in Japan for the Hawaiian dude and any
contact with sumo for the beach and there you have it.
Read more...
On an overcast Saturday afternoon in July, under the threat of rain more
akin to a tropical deluge than the constant drizzle of a typical
Japanese rainy season, I visited one of the true trailblazers of the
modern sumo world. Jesse Kuhaulua has been involved in the sumo world
for over 40 years as a rikishi (Takamiyama) and an oyakata (Azumazeki). Read more...
Of the 68 yokozuna in ozumo history, only one rikishi (the 54th yokozuna,
Wajima Hiroshi) used his family name for his shikona. All the others
had a traditional sumo shikona given to them by their oyakata or others
connected with them, except one. The exception was the 39th
yokozuna, Maedayama, who adapted his shikona from Read more...
In Sumo Fan Magazine's 3rd rikishi interview to date,
December 14th saw Mark Buckton sit down
with Russian up and comer Wakanoho of Magaki beya.
Just a few days before the Hatsu banzuke was released,
with sun pouring in through the
window of the heya office, what was supposed to be an interview turned
into more of a chat and is herein reproduced as such. Read more...
Sumo Fan Magazine, like all magazines, could not and would not exist without its readers. To that end, anything you think we should do, you think we should cease to do or you think we should never even think about doing, we want to know. Let us know the aspects of SFM you like - articles, the like of which, you'd like to read more of and articles you'd never like to see again. Or, just tell us what you want to say about sumo - we want to hear your voice, too. As the logo at the top of our front page says we are by the fans - FOR the fans - that's you. We welcome your comments and will be featuring some letters received in our soon-to-come "Letters" feature. We may even be offering tokens of our appreciation - sumo-related, of course, to a "Letter of the Month". So, if you have something to say please mail us at editor@sumofanmag.com.