Sumo Fan Magazine

<DATE> Contents

Sumo Souvenirs
Mark Buckton Second of a two parter on sumo souvenirs - some hints on avoiding the fluff.

Konishiki
Chris Gould Takamiyama's 60s / 70s successes notwithstanding Konishiki was sumo's first full-on mover and shaker from lands afar leaving Chris G to take an in-depth look at the ripples the big guy left behind when exiting the sumo pool.

Rikishi of Old
Joe Kuroda Joe Kuroda's looks back at the life and times of former yokozuna Shiranui.

Eric Evaluates
Eric Blair Eric IDs the true winners of the henkafest that was the Haru Basho senshuraku.

Rikishi Diary
Mark Kent Mark Kent - English pro-wrestler and amateur heavyweight sumotori - takes his training a step further on his road to European and World sumo glory.

Heya Peek
Mark Buckton Oitekaze Beya just to the north of Tokyo and not far from the abode of SFM's Ed-i-C falls under the microscope.

SFM Interview
Carolyn Todd Carolyn interviews Riho Rannikmaa during his recent trip to Osaka - head of all things sumo in Estonia, friend and mentor of Baruto, this is a man with something to announce.

Sumo à la LA
Alisdair Davey SFM's man in the shadows reports on his recent jaunt in LA, as guest of the Californian Sumo Association and SFM reporter at large.

Photo Bonanzas
Hot on the heels of the recent Ise bonanza - Haru up close and very very personal - some of our best pics to date.

Haru Basho Summary
Lon Howard Lon wraps the Haru Basho and chucks in a few bits on the henka issues the top dogs are suffering from at present.

Sumo Menko
Ryan Laughton Sumo cards of old brought to life once again by expert collector Ryan Laughton. None of your BBM offerings here - Pt II of III.

Natsu Ones To Watch
Carolyn Todd Carolyn ponders the ones to watch come May and Natsu when sumo comes home to Tokyo.

Kimarite Focus
Mikko Mattila Mikko's latest look at sumo's kimarite offers unequalled analysis and in depth explanations.

Amateur Angles
Howard Gilbert On your marks, get set, go - Howard Gilbert walks us through the months ahead on the amateur calendar.

Kokugi Konnections
Todd Lambert Click on Todd's latest selection of the best sumo sites the WWW has to offer.

Fan Debate
Facilitator - Carolyn Todd Should it or shouldn't it? Honbasho go on the overseas road that is. See what SFM's Chris Gould and James Hawkins have to say.

SFM Cartoons
Benny Loh & Stephen Thompson In this issue's cartoon bonanza, sit back and sample ST's latest artistic offerings.

Sumo Odds & Ends
SFM's interactive elements - as always includes Henka Sightings, Elevator Rikishi and Eternal Banzuke!

Let's Hear From You
What was it that made you a sumo fan - A. S. - the face in the crowd reveals almost all - to see everything you'll have to close your eyes.

Readers' Letters
See what our readers had to say since we last hit your screens.

Sumo Quiz
The Quizmaster Answer the Qs and win yourself a genuine banzuke.

Let's Hear From You!
What Made You A Fan?

Atsuko Shimura

may have been added to in later years when she learned more and could subconsciously tack later comprehension onto first impressions.

That rikishi’s name was Futabayama.

Futabayama post at the Stone of Strength, Eko-in, Ryogoku, Tokyo - Mark Buckton

At the time Atsuko recalled he vanquished all against whom he fought, he met the fans, was a thorough gentleman and imprinted upon this old lady, then in her most formative of years, an understanding of sumo that rarely passes through the border controls at Japanese airports –

Next

Each issue of SFM, We’ll ask one of you
to tell us something about you and sumo.
Think you have something readers would like to know?
Write our letters section! Enjoy.

The name of Atsuko Shimura is far from famous.

A diminutive Japanese lady of advanced years, never married, bilingual Japanese, Chinese speaker and carrying a smattering of English, Atsuko is a living lesson in North East Asian history and then some.

Born, at a guess in the very early 1930s, in an anonymous city in what is now China*, but what was then, Atsuko proudly recalls time after time, part of Japan, as with many families from that time, Atsuko was but one of many siblings born to a Japanese engineer and his wife sent overseas to populate the then ever-expanding areas of the empire of Japan.

At the tender age of 6 or 7, for two consecutive years, Atsuko’s awareness of and passion for sumo was ignited and provided with oxygen when, during a long-forgotten jungyo to the area – she cannot recall if these were NSK jungyo or Ichimon / heya limited – with her family and the Japanese community at large, she dutifully trotted off to watch the men of strength from back in Japan do their thing and strut their rikishi stuff.

One of the names she recalls her father raving over was, in her words, a handsome young man who towered over all present (remember her age at this point), had an aura about him that may have been noticed,