Takanohana stable
Encyclopedia
is a stable
of sumo
wrestlers, formerly one of the Nishonoseki group of stables. It was known as Futagoyama stable until 2004.
, who branched off from Hanakago stable
and converted his home near the Minami Asagaya
station into the stable headquarters.Its first sekitori
was komusubi Futagodake. It was very strong in the late 1970s and early 1980s when it produced two yokozuna and two ozeki, one of whom, Takanohana Kenshi
, was the stable master's younger brother. From the promotion of Takanohana Kenshi to komusubi in May 1972 until the retirement of Wakashimazu in July 1987 the stable always had at least one wrestler in the titled sanyaku ranks.
Takanohana Kenshi established Fujishima stable upon his retirement as an active wrestler in 1982, and when his elder brother reached the mandatory oyakata retirement age of 65 in February 1993, Fujishima and Futagoyama stable were merged and continued under the Futagoyama name. At its peak in the mid 1990s the merged stable had a yokozuna, two ozeki, and several other sanyaku regulars. During this period it had 50 wrestlers in total, and ten in the top division: Takanohana
, Wakanohana
, Takanonami, Akinoshima, Takatoriki and Toyonoumi (from Fujishima) and Takamisugi, Misugisato
, Naminohana and Wakashoyo
(from Futagoyama). This unprecedented dominance led to suggestions that the Japan Sumo Association
should not have approved the merger, as it gave these wrestlers an unfair advantage over their opponents as they never had to face each other in tournament competition. Takanohana's yokozuna rival Akebono
by contrast, had to fight everyone as there were no other wrestlers from his stable in the top two divisions.
By the early 2000s the stable had begun to decline, and in 2004 Takanohana Kenshi retired due to ill health. His son Takanohana Kōji took over, renaming the stable Takanohana beya. The heya's last sekitori, Takanonami, retired shortly afterwards. Under Takanohana Koji's stewardship the heya initially failed to attract many recruits, and retirements reduced the number of active wrestlers to as low as seven in 2007. Recruitment has since picked up, with seven new wrestlers joining between the March 2008 and May 2009 tournaments. As of July 2009 the stable has twelve wrestlers, among them a foreign wrestler, Mongolian Takanoiwa, who was recruited in November 2008. In November 2009 Takanoiwa took the championship in the sandanme division, the first yusho
for the stable since it was renamed.
In January 2010 the Takanohana stable, along with the Onomatsu
, Otake
and Magaki stable
, was forced to leave the Nishonoseki ichimon after Takanohana declared his intention to run as an unofficial candidate in the elections to the Sumo Association's board of directors.
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...
of sumo
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...
wrestlers, formerly one of the Nishonoseki group of stables. It was known as Futagoyama stable until 2004.
History
Futagoyama stable was established in 1962 by former Yokozuna Wakanohana Kanji IWakanohana Kanji I
was 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...
, who branched off from Hanakago stable
Hanakago stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Nishonoseki group of stables. In its current form it dates from 1992 when it was revived by Daijuyama of the Futagoyama stable. The previous version of the stable had been wound up in 1985 when former yokozuna Wajima was forced to leave the Japan Sumo...
and converted his home near the Minami Asagaya
Asagaya
, a suburb of Tokyo located in the Suginami ward west of Shinjuku. Main access to Asagaya is via the Chūō-Sōbu Line, 12 minutes out from Shinjuku station.-Geography:...
station into the stable headquarters.Its first 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...
was komusubi Futagodake. It was very strong in the late 1970s and early 1980s when it produced two yokozuna and two ozeki, one of whom, Takanohana Kenshi
Takanohana Kenshi
Takanohana Kenshi 貴ノ花健士 was a sumo wrestler from Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was ozeki, which he held for fifty tournaments. As an active rikishi he was extremely popular and was nicknamed the "prince of sumo" due to his good looks and relatively slim build...
, was the stable master's younger brother. From the promotion of Takanohana Kenshi to komusubi in May 1972 until the retirement of Wakashimazu in July 1987 the stable always had at least one wrestler in the titled sanyaku ranks.
Takanohana Kenshi established Fujishima stable upon his retirement as an active wrestler in 1982, and when his elder brother reached the mandatory oyakata retirement age of 65 in February 1993, Fujishima and Futagoyama stable were merged and continued under the Futagoyama name. At its peak in the mid 1990s the merged stable had a yokozuna, two ozeki, and several other sanyaku regulars. During this period it had 50 wrestlers in total, and ten in the top division: 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...
, Wakanohana
Wakanohana Masaru
is a former sumo wrestler from Tokyo, Japan. As an active wrestler he was known as Wakanohana III Masaru , and his rise through the ranks alongside his younger brother Takanohana Koji saw a boom in sumo's popularity in the early 1990s...
, Takanonami, Akinoshima, Takatoriki and Toyonoumi (from Fujishima) and Takamisugi, Misugisato
Misugisato Koji
Misugisato Kōji is a former sumo wrestler from Shiga Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was komusubi.-Career:...
, Naminohana and Wakashoyo
Wakashoyo
Wakashoyo is a Japanese mixed martial artist, kickboxer and former sumo wrestler.-Career:Although born in Chiba, he grew up in Nakano, Tokyo. He joined sumo in 1981, wrestling out of Futagoyama stable. He first entered the top makuuchi division in 1991 and made his sanyaku debut in March 1993 from...
(from Futagoyama). This unprecedented dominance led to suggestions that the Japan Sumo Association
Japan Sumo Association
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 , gyōji , tokoyama , and yobidashi , are all on the Association's payroll, but the organisation is run...
should not have approved the merger, as it gave these wrestlers an unfair advantage over their opponents as they never had to face each other in tournament competition. Takanohana's yokozuna rival Akebono
Akebono Taro
is a retired American born-Japanese sumo wrestler from Waimānalo, Hawaii. Joining the professional sport in Japan in 1988, he was trained by pioneering Hawaiian sumo wrestler Takamiyama and rose swiftly up the rankings, reaching the top division in 1990...
by contrast, had to fight everyone as there were no other wrestlers from his stable in the top two divisions.
By the early 2000s the stable had begun to decline, and in 2004 Takanohana Kenshi retired due to ill health. His son Takanohana Kōji took over, renaming the stable Takanohana beya. The heya's last sekitori, Takanonami, retired shortly afterwards. Under Takanohana Koji's stewardship the heya initially failed to attract many recruits, and retirements reduced the number of active wrestlers to as low as seven in 2007. Recruitment has since picked up, with seven new wrestlers joining between the March 2008 and May 2009 tournaments. As of July 2009 the stable has twelve wrestlers, among them a foreign wrestler, Mongolian Takanoiwa, who was recruited in November 2008. In November 2009 Takanoiwa took the championship in the sandanme division, the first yusho
Yusho
A Yūshō is a tournament championship in sumo. It is awarded in each of the six annual honbasho or official tournaments, to the wrestler who wins the most number of bouts. Yūshō are awarded in all six professional sumo divisions...
for the stable since it was renamed.
In January 2010 the Takanohana stable, along with the Onomatsu
Onomatsu stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, formerly one of the Nishonoseki ichimon or group of stables. It was founded in its modern form on 1 October 1994 by Masurao Hiroo, who branched off from the now defunct Oshiogawa stable. His first wrestler to reach the top makuuchi division was Katayama in 2005....
, Otake
Otake stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers.It was set up in 1971, as Taihō stable, by yokozuna Taihō Kōki on his retirement from wrestling. It passed on to his son-in-law Ōtake on his retirement...
and Magaki stable
Magaki Stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, formerly one of the Nishonoseki group of stables. Wakanohana Kanji II, the 56th Yokozuna in sumo history, re-established the stable in 1983 and is its current oyakata. Its first wrestler to reach the top division was the Hawaiian born Yamato in 1997...
, was forced to leave the Nishonoseki ichimon after Takanohana declared his intention to run as an unofficial candidate in the elections to the Sumo Association's board of directors.
Famous former wrestlers
- Wakanohana Kanji IIWakanohana Kanji IIWakanohana Kanji II is a former sumo wrestler from Ōwani, Aomori, Japan. He was the sport's 56th Yokozuna. He is now the head coach of Magaki stable.-Early career:...
(former yokozuna) - Takanosato ToshihideTakanosato ToshihideTakanosato Toshihide was a sumo wrestler from Namioka, Aomori, Japan. He was the sport's 59th Yokozuna from 1983 to 1986 and won four top division tournament championships...
(former yokozuna) - Takanohana KojiTakanohana 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...
(former yokozuna) - Wakanohana MasaruWakanohana Masaruis a former sumo wrestler from Tokyo, Japan. As an active wrestler he was known as Wakanohana III Masaru , and his rise through the ranks alongside his younger brother Takanohana Koji saw a boom in sumo's popularity in the early 1990s...
(former yokozuna) - Takanohana KenshiTakanohana KenshiTakanohana Kenshi 貴ノ花健士 was a sumo wrestler from Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was ozeki, which he held for fifty tournaments. As an active rikishi he was extremely popular and was nicknamed the "prince of sumo" due to his good looks and relatively slim build...
(former ozeki) - Wakashimazu MutsuoWakashimazu MutsuoWakashimazu Mutsuo is a former sumo wrestler from Nakatane, Kagoshima, Japan. His highest rank was ozeki. He won two top division yusho or tournament championships. He retired in 1987 and is now the head coach of Matsugane stable.-Career:Wakashimazu wrestled for Futagoyama stable, joining in March...
(former ozeki) - Takanonami SadahiroTakanonami SadahiroTakanonami Sadahiro is a former sumo wrestler from Aomori, Japan. He held sumo's second highest rank of ōzeki from 1994 until 2000 and won two tournament titles...
(former ozeki) - Takatoriki TadashigeTakatoriki TadashigeTakatōriki Tadashige is a former sumo wrestler from Kobe, Japan. He made his professional debut in 1983, reaching the top division in 1990...
(former sekiwake) - Akinoshima KatsumiAkinoshima KatsumiAkinoshima Katsumi is a former sumo wrestler from Akitsu, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. He made his professional debut in 1982, and after reaching the top division in 1988 he remained there for 15 years...
(former sekiwake)
Toshiyori
- Tokiwayama Takakatsu (former komusubi Takamisugi)
- Otowayama Sadahiro (former ozeki Takanonami)
- Ajigawa Kenichi (former maegashira KoboKobo KenichiKōbō Kenichi is a former sumo wrestler from Kumage, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was maegashira 9.-Career:Kōbō made his professional debut in March 1989 at the age of 15...
)