Sumo Fan Magazine

Brothers in Sumo –
part one
Brian Lewin
Brothers no longer active on the dohyo come under the SFM microscope

NHK & the Ozumo
English Broadcast
Mark Buckton
A visit to NHK, years of watching the show and the opinions of our Ed-in-Chief

Hanging With the Rikishi
Barbara Ann Klein
Barbara Ann Klein recounts her experiences with the “boys” in a pictorial diary series

Rikishi of Old
Joe Kuroda
A look at a rikishi of yesteryear with Chiyonoyama – our man for December

Sumo Exhibit at the
Edo-Tokyo Museum
Barbara Ann Klein
SFM’s Editor takes in the exhibit celebrating 80 years of the Japan Sumo Association at this famous Tokyo museum

Heya Peek
John Gunning
John’s early morning trip to Hakkaku – a visit that almost didn’t happen

SFM Interview
Dave Wiggins sits down
with SFM’s Mark Buckton to discuss the broadcast scene – and maple syrup

Photo Bonanza
What a collection – All-Japan Sumo Tournament, Hakkaku-
beya visit and sumo exhibits at the Edo-Tokyo Museum

Kyushu Basho Review
Lon Howard
Lon gives us his Kyushu Basho summary, along with the henka sightings results, and his take on the year in brief

Lower Division Rikishi
Mikko Mattila
Mikko Mattila covers lower division ups and downs

Hatsu Basho Forecast
Pierre Wohlleben & Mark
Buckton
Pierre predicts the Hatsu Basho banzuke while Mark previews the ones to watch for in January

Sumo 101
Eric Blair
Eric explains all you need to know and then some about the Kokugikan building – the mecca of sumo

Kimarite Focus
Mikko Mattila
Mikko walks us through his chosen kimarite in expert fashion

Minusha
John McTague
John’s unique bimonthly view of news from outside the dohyo

Online Gaming
Eric Blair
For the lowdown on Guess the Kotomitsuki – baby of SFM’s John Gunning

Kokugi Connections
Todd Lambert
Todd’s bimonthly focus on 3 of the most interesting sumo sites today

Fan Debate
Intra heya bouts –
OK or not? See what our debaters had to say

SFM Cartoons
Stephen Thompson
In the second of our cartoon bonanzas, sit back and enjoy ST’s offerings

Let’s Hear From You
What was it that made you a sumo fan? American Todd Defoe tells all

Readers’ Letters
See what SFM readers had to say since our last issue

Sumo Quiz
The Quizmaster
Answer the Qs and win yourself next basho’s banzuke.

Heya Peek:
Hakkaku-beya

by John Gunning

the paper was left beside the oyakata’s zabuton gave me some cause for hope. Also I was thinking that with Kaiho’s injury, he would hardly be traveling and perhaps I might see him.

The easiest way for someone to find Hakkaku would be to take the O-Edo subway line to Ryogoku station and exit said station using the escalator beside the marble sculpture of the dohyo-iri. A short 5-minute walk along the street facing the exit will take you there.

When you enter through the wooden doors with their octagonal glass, you are immediately confronted by a large wooden relief sculpture of

Next Home

This is the heya peek that almost didn’t happen. October 25th last, I decided it was finally time to check out one of the two heya within 50 metres of my new apartment – Hanakago and Magaki. Strangely however, when I popped over, I found both were closed. I then decided to take a stroll down to Miyagino thinking I would check out Hakuho’s injury and see how things were progressing for the future yokozuna. Only thing was, when I got there it too was locked up with the lights off. “Surely they are not all gone to Kyushu this early” I thought. A little more walking back up towards the river brought me first to Oshima and then to Dewanoumi, where I found to my dismay that unfortunately everyone there was gone as well. Finally, I remembered that it was jungyo time and started to seriously wonder if I would need to head out to west Japan again in order to get this piece when, fortunately, after a few phone calls it was established that Hakkaku would still be open the following morning instantly making it heya peek number four.

I arrived at the heya around 7AM to find a couple of rikishi in the small side street that runs alongside both Hakkaku and Nishikido. The two heya back on to each other. Both are members of Takasago ichimon as is Azumazeki, meaning that thus far 75% of this series has covered those connected heya.

Anyway, I entered the heya to find keiko had already started but that there were only 4 rikishi in the keikoba. I had my doubts as to whether I would see any sekitori, but the fact that