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Brothers no longer active on the dohyo come under the SFM microscope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.

Letters to the Editor

viewers. I am thrilled to see your magazine and think it will be one of the strongest beacons lighting the way for new Sumo enthusiasts such as myself. I look forward to reading every article in every issue, and I recognize my responsibility to make every effort to patronize and support the advertisers in your magazine. In the end, that is what all of us readers can do to contribute to the success and continued expansion of this invaluable source of information.

Best Regards,

Douglas
Brighton, IL
USA

Hello Douglas,

Thank you so much for your interest in our efforts to bring sumo to its many English speaking fans around the world. I hope you enjoyed the show in Las Vegas as much as I did. Being in the same hotel with the rikishi and rubbing elbows with them all over the place there was one of the biggest thrills I've ever had, and at my age, who knows – it may have been my last chance. But to your question:

Next Home

Each issue, we will feature a letter from one of our readers. The sender will receive a sumo-related prize of our choosing – this month being a copy of the book, “Grand Sumo Fully Illustrated” – Congratulations, Douglas-zeki – your book is on its way!

FEATURED LETTER

Hello:

This is my first visit to your magazine. I am very happy that such a publication exists. I am confident you will accomplish a great deal in promoting Sumo to English speaking audiences around the world. If I may be so bold, I would like to make a suggestion that, I believe, will make your magazine even more enjoyable for readers like myself.

I attended the Las Vegas Sumo all three days and saw every match. But in reading the report, I became confused by the use of technical Sumo terms in the article. No doubt writers of articles must be conscious of not over simplifying while at the same time not using so many Sumo terms as to make the article difficult for new readers to understand. Here is an excellent example of what I

mean from the Las Vegas article:

In fact, we witnessed more tsuridashi and uchari than normally seen in a typical hon-basho.

As I mentioned, I saw all the matches in Las Vegas, but I have absolutely no idea what you just said. Perhaps in those situations where a specific Sumo term is necessary, simply because it is the only term that allows accurate description, a definition could be provided? Either in the article, at the end of the article, or even on a separate page under “words used in this article”. This would allow those of us who are not familiar with the unique Sumo terms to grasp what is being conveyed without compromising the accuracy of the reporter's description.

We all are in agreement that Sumo needs to attract new