Japan Sumo Association
Encyclopedia
The is the body that operates and controls professional sumo
wrestling in Japan
under the jurisdiction of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
. Rikishi (active wrestlers), gyōji
(referees), tokoyama
(hairdressers), and yobidashi
(announcers), are all on the Association's payroll, but the organisation is run entirely by elders, or toshiyori
. The organization has its headquarters in Yokoami, Sumida
, Tokyo
.
Membership is obtained by purchasing, or inheriting a share in the Association, of which there are 105. The value of these shares is extremely high and rules only permit them to be purchased by former sumo wrestlers who either reached at least a sanyaku rank (komusubi and higher) or been ranked for a significant number of tournaments as a sekitori
. Each share is associated with a particular name and in the sumo world the former wrestler will be known by that name, usually with the suffix oyakata. The members are also often called elders in English.
An exception to the purchase requirement is made for the most successful former yokozuna who may be offered a one-time membership of the Association. Three former wrestlers, Taihō
, Kitanoumi
and Takanohana
obtained this status. A fourth, Chiyonofuji
, was offered this status but preferred a normal share. These four all achieved more than twenty tournament championships in their active career.
The members of the Association receive a salary and are expected to assist in the running of the Association, from selling tickets at the most junior level, to taking charge of one of the Association Departments as a director.
The members are also the only persons able to train new sumo wrestlers. They do this by opening a training stable, or heya
(changed to beya as a suffix) which will go by the membership name they own. Thus Dewanoumi-oyakata will be the owner of Dewanoumi-beya. Typically about 50% of the Association members have their own stable, while the rest are affiliated to one and assist the principal owner. It is common for the most senior members of the Association to concentrate on their Association responsibilities and pass the day-to-day management of a stable to another. If a senior oyakata wishes to do this, the two may elect to swap names so that the stable can keep the more prestigious name. A recent example was in 1996, when the Association's chairman Dewanoumi-oyakata (former yokozuna Sadanoyama
), swapped names with Sakaigawa-oyakata (former sekiwake Washuyama
) who took over the running of Dewanoumi stable
.
The Association Members are also split into various ranks. A new retiree will have oyakata rank, except for former Ozeki and Yokozuna who are automatically granted Committee Member rank. Most experienced Association members are Committee Members. At the top are a group of elected riji or directors, who form the Association Board. The public face of sumo is presented by chairman of the directors, called the rijicho. He is effectively President of the Association.
All members are required to retire when they reach the age of sixty five, after which they can sell or pass their stock to another, provided that person meets the Association's eligibility requirements. In the case of a one-time membership the name merely lapses.
In September 2008, at the Ministry of Education' insistence after a series of scandals hit sumo, three external Directors were appointed. One of the three, Hiroyoshi Murayama, served as acting Chairman for the July 2010 tournament while the then head, Musashigawa, was suspended.
Sumo
is a competitive full-contact sport where a wrestler attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally...
wrestling in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
under the jurisdiction of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Japan)
The , also known as MEXT or Monkashō, is one of the ministries of the Japanese government.The Meiji government created the first Ministry of Education in 1871....
. Rikishi (active wrestlers), gyōji
Gyoji
A Gyōji is a referee in professional sumo wrestling in Japan.Gyōji usually enter the sumo world as teenagers and remain employees of the Sumo Association until they retire aged 65.-Responsibilities:...
(referees), tokoyama
Tokoyama
A tokoyama is a hairdresser employed by the Japan Sumo Association to cut and prepare sumo wrestlers' hair, which is done in a chonmage style...
(hairdressers), and yobidashi
Yobidashi
The yobidashi calls a professional sumo wrestler, or rikishi, to the dohyō immediately prior to his bout...
(announcers), are all on the Association's payroll, but the organisation is run entirely by elders, or toshiyori
Toshiyori
A toshiyori is a sumo elder of the Japan Sumo Association. Also known as oyakata, former wrestlers who reached a sufficiently high rank are the only people eligible...
. The organization has its headquarters in Yokoami, Sumida
Sumida, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. It calls itself Sumida City in English.As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population of 240,296 and a density of 17,480 persons per km²...
, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
.
Membership is obtained by purchasing, or inheriting a share in the Association, of which there are 105. The value of these shares is extremely high and rules only permit them to be purchased by former sumo wrestlers who either reached at least a sanyaku rank (komusubi and higher) or been ranked for a significant number of tournaments as a sekitori
Sekitori
A sekitori is a sumo wrestler who is ranked in one of the top two professional divisions: makuuchi and juryo.Currently there are 70 rikishi in these divisions...
. Each share is associated with a particular name and in the sumo world the former wrestler will be known by that name, usually with the suffix oyakata. The members are also often called elders in English.
An exception to the purchase requirement is made for the most successful former yokozuna who may be offered a one-time membership of the Association. Three former wrestlers, Taihō
Taiho Koki
Taihō Kōki is the 48th Yokozuna in the Japanese sport of sumo wrestling. He is generally regarded as the greatest sumo wrestler of the post-war period. He became a yokozuna in 1961 at the age of 21, the youngest ever at the time, and he won a record 32 tournaments between 1960 and 1971...
, Kitanoumi
Kitanoumi Toshimitsu
Kitanoumi Toshimitsu is a former sumo wrestler and former Chairman of the Japan Sumo Association. He was the dominant yokozuna in sumo during the 1970s. Toshimitsu was promoted to yokozuna at age 21, becoming the youngest ever to achieve sumo's top rank, and he remained a yokozuna for a record 63...
and Takanohana
Takanohana Koji
is a former sumo wrestler from Suginami, Tokyo, Japan. He was the 65th man in history to reach sumo's highest rank of yokozuna, and he won 22 tournament championships between 1992 and 2001, the fifth highest total ever...
obtained this status. A fourth, Chiyonofuji
Chiyonofuji Mitsugu
, born June 1, 1955, as in Hokkaidō, Japan, is a former champion sumo wrestler and the 58th yokozuna of the sport. He is now the head coach of Kokonoe stable....
, was offered this status but preferred a normal share. These four all achieved more than twenty tournament championships in their active career.
The members of the Association receive a salary and are expected to assist in the running of the Association, from selling tickets at the most junior level, to taking charge of one of the Association Departments as a director.
The members are also the only persons able to train new sumo wrestlers. They do this by opening a training stable, or heya
Heya
In sumo wrestling, a heya , usually translated into English as stable, is an organization of sumo wrestlers where they train and live. All wrestlers in professional sumo must belong to one. There are currently 49 heya , all but four of which belong to one of five ichimon...
(changed to beya as a suffix) which will go by the membership name they own. Thus Dewanoumi-oyakata will be the owner of Dewanoumi-beya. Typically about 50% of the Association members have their own stable, while the rest are affiliated to one and assist the principal owner. It is common for the most senior members of the Association to concentrate on their Association responsibilities and pass the day-to-day management of a stable to another. If a senior oyakata wishes to do this, the two may elect to swap names so that the stable can keep the more prestigious name. A recent example was in 1996, when the Association's chairman Dewanoumi-oyakata (former yokozuna Sadanoyama
Sadanoyama Shinmatsu
Sadanoyama Shinmatsu is a former sumo wrestler from Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. He was the sport's 50th Yokozuna...
), swapped names with Sakaigawa-oyakata (former sekiwake Washuyama
Washuyama Yoshikazu
Washūyama Yoshikazu is a former sumo wrestler from Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan. His highest rank was sekiwake. He is now the head coach of Dewanoumi stable.-Career:...
) who took over the running of Dewanoumi stable
Dewanoumi stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers. It has a long, prestigious history. Its current head coach is former sekiwake Washuyama. As of November 2007 it had 21 wrestlers....
.
The Association Members are also split into various ranks. A new retiree will have oyakata rank, except for former Ozeki and Yokozuna who are automatically granted Committee Member rank. Most experienced Association members are Committee Members. At the top are a group of elected riji or directors, who form the Association Board. The public face of sumo is presented by chairman of the directors, called the rijicho. He is effectively President of the Association.
All members are required to retire when they reach the age of sixty five, after which they can sell or pass their stock to another, provided that person meets the Association's eligibility requirements. In the case of a one-time membership the name merely lapses.
In September 2008, at the Ministry of Education' insistence after a series of scandals hit sumo, three external Directors were appointed. One of the three, Hiroyoshi Murayama, served as acting Chairman for the July 2010 tournament while the then head, Musashigawa, was suspended.
Directors
- Dewanoumi (former sekiwake WashuyamaWashuyama YoshikazuWashūyama Yoshikazu is a former sumo wrestler from Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan. His highest rank was sekiwake. He is now the head coach of Dewanoumi stable.-Career:...
) - Kagamiyama (former sekiwake Tagaryu)
- Kitanoumi (the 55th Yokozuna KitanoumiKitanoumi ToshimitsuKitanoumi Toshimitsu is a former sumo wrestler and former Chairman of the Japan Sumo Association. He was the dominant yokozuna in sumo during the 1970s. Toshimitsu was promoted to yokozuna at age 21, becoming the youngest ever to achieve sumo's top rank, and he remained a yokozuna for a record 63...
) - Kokonoe (the 58th Yokozuna ChiyonofujiChiyonofuji Mitsugu, born June 1, 1955, as in Hokkaidō, Japan, is a former champion sumo wrestler and the 58th yokozuna of the sport. He is now the head coach of Kokonoe stable....
) - Michinoku (former ozeki KirishimaKirishima KazuhiroKirishima Kazuhiro is a former sumo wrestler from Makizono, Kagoshima, Japan, who held the second highest rank of ōzeki from 1990 to 1992 and won one top division tournament championship...
) - Musashigawa (the 57th Yokozuna MienoumiMienoumi Tsuyoshi(born February 4, 1948 as is a former champion sumo wrestler, the 57th yokozuna of the sport. He is the founder of Musashigawa stable and a former chairman of the Japan Sumo Association. He was born in Matsusaka, Mie prefecture, Japan.- Career :...
) - Nishonoseki (former sekiwake KongoKongo MasahiroKongō Masahiro is a former sumo wrestler from Hokkaidō, Japan. His highest rank was sekiwake. He is now a sumo coach and head of the Nishonoseki stable.-Career:...
) - Takanohana (the 65th Yokozuna TakanohanaTakanohana Kojiis a former sumo wrestler from Suginami, Tokyo, Japan. He was the 65th man in history to reach sumo's highest rank of yokozuna, and he won 22 tournament championships between 1992 and 2001, the fifth highest total ever...
) - Tomozuna (former sekiwake Kaiki)
Vice Directors
- Mihogaseki (former ozeki MasuiyamaMasuiyama Daishiro IIMasuiyama Daishirō is a former sumo wrestler from Hyōgo, Japan. In 1980 he became the oldest man to be promoted to the rank of ozeki in the modern era...
) - Nakamura (former sekiwake Fujizakura)
- Shiranui (former sekiwake Aobajo)
Rijicho
- Hirose Masanori 1928–1938
- Isamu TakeshitaIsamu Takeshitawas an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy. He was also a diplomat whose accomplishments included helping end the Russo-Japanese War favorably for Japan and obtaining former German possessions in the Pacific for Japan following World War I...
1939–1944 - Dewanoumi (the 31st Yokozuna TsunenohanaTsunenohana Kan'ichiTsunenohana Kan'ichi was a sumo wrestler from Okayama, Japan. He was the sport's 31st Yokozuna.-Career:...
) 1944–1957 - Tokitsukaze (the 35th Yokozuna FutabayamaFutabayama SadajiFutabayama Sadaji , born as Akiyoshi Sadaji in Oita Prefecture, Japan, was the 35th Yokozuna in sumo wrestling, from 1937 until 1945. He won twelve top division championships and had a winning streak of 69 consecutive bouts, an all-time record. Despite his dominance he was extremely popular with...
) 1957–1968 - Musashigawa (ex maegashira Dewanohana) 1968–1974
- Kasugano (the 44th Yokozuna TochinishikiTochinishiki KiyotakaTochinishiki Kiyotaka was a sumo wrestler from Tokyo, Japan. He was the sport's 44th Yokozuna. He won ten top division yusho or tournament championships and was a rival of fellow yokozuna Wakanohana I...
) 1974–1988 - Futagoyama (the 45th Yokozuna WakanohanaWakanohana Kanji Iwas a sumo wrestler, the sport's 45th Yokozuna .Wakanohana's younger brother was the late former ozeki Takanohana Kenshi and he was the uncle of Takanohana Koji and Wakanohana Masaru...
) 1988–1992 - Dewanoumi/Sakaigawa (the 50th Yokozuna SadanoyamaSadanoyama ShinmatsuSadanoyama Shinmatsu is a former sumo wrestler from Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. He was the sport's 50th Yokozuna...
) 1992–1998 - Tokitsukaze (former ozeki YutakayamaYutakayama KatsuoYutakayama Katsuo is a former sumo wrestler from Niigata, Japan. His highest rank was ozeki. Although he never managed to win a top division tournament championship he was a runner-up on eight occasions...
) 1998–2002 - Kitanoumi (the 55th Yokozuna KitanoumiKitanoumi ToshimitsuKitanoumi Toshimitsu is a former sumo wrestler and former Chairman of the Japan Sumo Association. He was the dominant yokozuna in sumo during the 1970s. Toshimitsu was promoted to yokozuna at age 21, becoming the youngest ever to achieve sumo's top rank, and he remained a yokozuna for a record 63...
) 2002–2008 - Musashigawa (the 57th Yokozuna MienoumiMienoumi Tsuyoshi(born February 4, 1948 as is a former champion sumo wrestler, the 57th yokozuna of the sport. He is the founder of Musashigawa stable and a former chairman of the Japan Sumo Association. He was born in Matsusaka, Mie prefecture, Japan.- Career :...
) 2008–2010 - Hanaregoma (former ozeki KaiketsuKaiketsu MasateruKaiketsu Masateru is a former sumo wrestler, who reached the second highest rank of ōzeki on two separate occasions. He also won two top division tournament championships...
) 2010–