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Letter to Mark Buckton of The Japan Times

Hi Mark,
I only began to read Japan Times when I became interested in sumo, roughly in 1997, when the english version of Eurosport TV station made it at length to the Czech republic. I was fancinated with fights between ozekis Konishiki, Takanonami, Wakanohana, Musashimaru, Dejima, Chiyotaikai and yokozunas Takanohana, Akebono. Add to that Sid Hoare's commentary and I became a sumo fan.
(skip 5 years...)
I found LIVE broadcast of bashos on Nihon Sumo Kyokai website, I was delighted with the opportunity, if not with the quality.
(skip 5 more years...)
Live broadcasts are now a commonplace thing, and have become the ONLY way for me to watch sumo action, since eurosport has stopped sumo. It's true that among my friends, sumo popularity dropped 50% around 2002 when it became the Mongolian showdown (that is, I have one friend who I can talk to about the good old days of Takatoriki lifting the Emperor's Cup, but he doesn't know who Hakuho is), so that's probably why Eurosport has discontinued the sport.
But the live broadcast hasn't changed in (non)quality in the last five years, so untypical of the japanese hi-tech standard! Someone should do something about that, as well as accessibility of that broadcast. For me, as well as many other fans, it's the only way to watch sumo action, not live, but altogether!
Finally getting to the point, it saddens me greatly to read about obstructions to get tickets AND the language barrier to see the great fights with one's very eyes. I want to go to Japan, I'd love to see Ryogoku Kokugikan, don't know the japanese word for a ticket though, so if I'm ever in Japan, can I get a ticket with "eto, sumimasen, chiketto o kudasai"!?

Yours sincerely
--Martin Klemsa