Sumo Fan Magazine

Yokozuna Comparisons
Joe Kuroda
SFM’s historian, JK, wraps his two-part article on the greatest of the tsuna wearers

Amateur Sumo's Global Aspirations
Courtesy: International Sumo Federation
What exactly is it and furthermore, what does it do? The ISF explain themselves and their purpose in existing

Rikishi of Old
Joe Kuroda
Man or myth? Sumo's first yokozuna comes under the spotlight

Heya Peek
Barbara Ann Klein
Tokitsukaze-beya and its famous find themselves the target of Barbara's peek into life inside the heya

SFM Interview
Mark Buckton
Featuring interviews with amateur sumo's European Sumo Union General Secretary and the President of the newly founded Irish Sumo Federation

Sumo 101
Barbara Ann Klein
Would chanko exist without sumo? What is chanko anyway? Find out in Sumo 101

Photo Bonanza
See the Haru
Basho through the eyes of the fans in the seats as SFM gives the mantle of photographer(s) for this basho to Barbara & Gerald Patten. And don't miss our all-Mongolian Bonanza supplied by our Editor, Barbara Ann Klein

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

Lower Division Rikishi
Mikko Mattila
Mikko Mattila covers the lower division goings on like nobody else around

Natsu Basho Forecast
Mark Buckton
Mark Buckton glances back to look forward in his ones to look out for come May

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

Sumo in Print
Mark Buckton
Our gaming thread takes a break for April so we can look at the Spanish language book on the sport not long since released

Kokugi Connections
Todd Lambert
Todd’s bimonthly focus on 3 of the WWW's best sumo sites today

Fan Debate
Facilitator – Lon Howard
April's man VS monkey debate covers the issue of reducing the number of honbasho

SFM Cartoons
Benny Loh & Stephen Thompson
Sit back and enjoy the offerings

Let’s Hear From You
What was it that
made you a sumo fan? Thierry Perran lets us in on his reasons for loving this sport

Readers’ Letters
See what some
See what our featured letter is for this issue

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

Letters to the Editor

kind comments. You will be happy to see that the second part of the comparison is featured in this issue, as well as an article about the very first acknowledged yokozuna, Akashi Shiganosuke. Joe Kuroda's “Rikishi of Old” is a regular feature, and I'm sure that, in addition to covering other great sekitori, there will be not-so-great yokozuna thrown in, too.

Barbara Ann Klein

Editor

Thank you to each and every one of you who have sent letters complimenting our efforts here at Sumo Fan Magazine. I think it would be too much like blowing our own horn to print these letters, so, in future issues, we will publish just the Featured Letter.

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 picture banzuke from the Hatsu Basho – Congratulations, Brian-zeki – your e-banzuke is on its way!

FEATURED LETTER

Hi there,

At the bottom of your main page you ask for suggestions on what to do more of. I have to say I loved the yokozuna comparison article. Not for its actual comparisons of Asashoryu to the previous yokozuna but for the anecdotes and the stories and legends of the really early yokozuna. I would love to read more articles about the ‘founding fathers’ of sumo from the late 1700's through to the 1900's. Their stats are easy to find, but the stories like winning a bout by “stare out” and what their peers and fans thought of

them at the time or years later are infinitely more interesting to me.

Do you have any more ‘early sumo’ articles in the pipeline?

Maybe you could concentrate on 1 or 2 yokozuna per article and give a good account of their lives & careers? That would be awesome.

Regards,

Brian

Dear Brian –

Thanks for your letter and your