Brothers in Sumo –
part two
Brian Lewin
Brothers still active on the dohyo get their turn

Yokozuna Comparisons
Joe Kuroda
SFM’s most eminent historian, JK, has a crack at the impossible and tries to see who was the greatest of the tsuna wearers

Rikishi of Old
John Gunning
Takanobori – former sekiwake, former NHK man and all ’round gent

Heya Peek
Barbara Ann Klein
Kitanoumi-beya, Kitazakura, mirrors & photo bonanza

SFM Interview
John Gunning
Kazuyoshi Yoshikawa (son of the late sekiwake Takanobori) on life in sumo way back when

Sumo 101
Barbara Ann Klein
Behind every good man there stands a good woman – read and ye shall see. A departure from our regular 101 feature

Photo Bonanza
See the Hatsu Basho
plus much more through the lens of our photographers

Hatsu Basho Review
Lon Howard
Lon gives us his Hatsu Basho summary, along with the henka sightings results

Lower Division Rikishi
Mikko Mattila
Mikko Mattila covers lower division goings on in detail

Haru Basho Forecast
Pierre Wohlleben & Mark Buckton
Pierre predicts the Haru Basho banzuke while Mark highlights the ones to look out for in Osaka

Kimarite Focus
Mikko Mattila
Mikko takes us on a tour of his chosen kimarite

Minusha
John McTague
John’s unique bimonthly view of sumo news from outside the dohyo and in the restaurants!

Online Gaming
Alexander Nitschke
SFM’s own Alexander Nitschke covers the long running Hoshitori Game

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

Fan Debate
Feb's debate sees
a pair of Kiwis exchanging opinions on the honbasho going on the road

SFM Cartoons
Benny Loh & Stephen Thompson
In the third of our cartoon bonanzas, sit back and enjoy BL’s offerings and put a caption to ST’s pic to win yourselves a banzuke

Let’s Hear From You
What was it that
made you a sumo fan? A unique perspective from a sightless reader.

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

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

  cook for him. What do I make? I make a lot of meat – Mongolians like meat – and native dishes like buuz and bansh. These are steamed dumplings made with meat inside. One kind is just smaller than the other. I also make soups with meat and noodles, and sometimes steak and salad. But I would really like to cook better and make more different things.

I have to tell you, though, that when we go out to eat, my favorite place to go is to a yakiniku restaurant.

BAK – Last one – given the opportunity, who in Japan would you like to meet? And, very last, who in the world?

TG –In Japan, I really would like to meet the Emperor and Empress. In the world? Let’s see, I already met the Dalai Lama, otherwise that would be my answer. It was also exciting to
meet Koji Murofushi, the 2004 Olympic hammer throw gold medalist.
 
Tamiraa and Murofushi (Photo by Barbara Ann Klein)
 
 As I’ve said before, I would enjoy meeting people from various cultures. But if I could choose anyone at all, living or dead, it would have to be Nostradamus. So many of his predictions came true. I would ask him how did he know? Where did the ideas come from? And, then, I would ask him what the future holds for us all, although I’m not sure I really
want to know the answer.
BAK – Thanks so much, Tamiraa. You are a very gracious person.

Postscript: About a week and a half after this meeting, Tamiraa was in Hawaii for just a few days with her husband and daughter, the new baby being too small to travel “overseas”. This was a surprise for her from the yokozuna. Needless to say – and I’m sure that anyone who has visited Hawaii, including myself feels the same way – she loved it. AND she/we did what any other woman/women would do – shop, ride up the coast to see a few sights, go “swimming” (neither of us can swim) and eat good food. Of course, a good yakiniku restaurant was also found where we all enjoyed a satisfying, relaxing dinner of, what else? – MEAT! .

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