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For other uses, see Heya (disambiguation).

Sumo wrestlers of Naruto stable with, in the centre in suit and tie, stablemaster Naruto (the former Kotoōshū). On the right, in costume, junior yobidashi and gyōji also belong to the stable.

In professional sumo wrestling, a heya or beya (部屋, lit. 'room'),[a] most commonly and metaphorically translated in English as "stable",[1][3][5] but also known as "training quarters",[5] or "fraternity",[6] is an organization of wrestlers where they train and live in a "quasi-monastic and militaristic lifestyle".[1]

Closer to a medieval fraternity than a modern sports team, a stable is a group that lives, eats, trains, sleeps and socializes together, under the authority of one or more elders.[6] Additionally to wrestlers, all the traditional sports professionals (such as gyōji, yobidashi and tokoyama) must belong to a heya. Heya vary in size, with the largest and most successful stables having a completely different training environment from the smaller stables that have a dimension described as being more family-oriented.[7] Most heya are based in and around the Ryōgoku district of Tokyo, sumo's traditional heartland, although the high price of land has led to some newer heya being built in other parts of Tokyo or its suburbs.[8]

There are currently 45 sumo stables (as of October 2024),[b] each of which belongs to one of five ichimon (groupings of heya or clans).

History

[edit]
Flourishing Activity at the Practice Ground of Hidenoyama's Stable by Utagawa Kuniteru II [ja] (c. 1860)

During the Genroku period various sumo groups concentrated from the countryside to the major cities of Edo, Osaka and Kyoto.[10] These groups consisted of masterless samurai (called rōnin) who had lost their social benefits with the peace period established by the Tokugawa shogunate.[11] Rōnin had no choice but to put their martial art skills to good use in street sumo tournaments, called tsuji-zumō (辻相撲, tsuji-sumo, lit. 'street-corner wrestling'), for the entertainment of passers-by.[12] Similarly, a number of street entertainment wrestling groups formed and began touring, sometimes with the support of shrines that occasionally recruited them as part of religious festivities and to help priests raising money for the construction of buildings.[13]

Gradually, the groups self-organised under the leadership of elders, who welcomed the wrestlers into their homes, which took the name of heya (meaning "fraternity house") in reference to the rooms in which these elders met to organise matches during tournaments.[10] The system became profitable and was quickly adopted by sumo associations in Osaka and Edo between 1757 and 1792.[11] During the Hōreki era, masters began to inherit the names of their predecessors, and heya were gradually referred to by the name borne by the master.[10] Nearly all of the sumo stables founded by the Edo-based sumo association were founded between 1751 and 1781.[3] During this same period, Edo established itself as a major sumo sports center, and it was common wrestlers from other major metropolises (such as Kyoto and Osaka) to emigrate and train with the heya of the Edo-based sumo association.[14] Although mostly founded by former wrestlers, some stables dating back to the 17th century were founded by gyōji.[14]

During the Edo period, all wrestlers were officially attached to a stable, but a formal exception existed for wrestlers who benefited from the patronage of local lords, the latter taking the most prominent wrestlers under their wing.[15] These wrestlers, who continued to wrestle for their stable, were however considered "borrowed" from the lords rather than officially attached to their heya, thus giving the name kakae-rikishi (抱え力士, lit. 'embraced wrestler' or 'retained wrestler') to the wrestlers and to the system.[16]

During the Meiji Restoration and the abolition of the han system, this system came to an end and stable lost the patronage of the lords, who were forbidden to maintain households of their own.[17] With the loss of income security and social status came a period of semi-censorship of sumo, with the adoption of Western ideology leading to the perception of sumo as unworthy of the new era, as the matches were seen as barbaric and the semi-nudity of the wrestlers shocking.[18] With the disappearance of government protection, some stable organized themselves into fire brigades.[19]

In 1943, at the turning point of the Pacific War, sumo competitions were disrupted and Tokyo became the target of intensive bombardments that destroyed many stables.[20] Most of the remaining stables decided to move to the Tokyo suburbs or neighboring towns to escape the bombing.[21] During that period, the wrestlers were either drafted into the army or navy, or incorporated into provincial work units organized by stable.[20]

During the 1970's, the question of opening up the toshiyori title, and ultimately the creation of stables, to foreign wrestlers arose for the Japan Sumo Association, the latter declaring firstly that sumo being Japan's national sport, it was inconceivable that a foreigner could participate as a trainer.[22] The statement was subsequently severely criticized in the press.[23] This led the association to correct its position in this regard, with the JSA subsequently declaring that the two rising stars of foreign origin Takamiyama and Kaneshiro would indeed be eligible to become coaches within the association after their retirements.[24] Takamiyama was the first to retire, becoming a coach under the name Azumazeki and founding Azumazeki stable, the first foreign-born sumo wrestler to do so.[24][25] In 2003, former yokozuna Musashimaru also retired and in 2013 founded Musashigawa stable, the second stable to be founded by a wrestler of foreign origin.[26]

Organization and running

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Founding and inheriting a stable

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The entrance of Tokitsukaze stable still bears the Futabayama Sumo Dōjō (双葉山相撲道場) sign in honor of the stable's founder (written from right to left)

Only retired wrestlers can open stables.[27] Technically, any retired wrestler who has secured possession of an elder share can open his own stable.[28] There is thus a maximum potential of 105 stables within the association.[28][29] The approval of the Japan Sumo Association is required to open one's own stable or to inherit an existing one.[27][30] The approval is regularly granted without much difficulty.[30]

Generally speaking, a stable is often founded because a master wishes to become independent of the stable to which he is attached. In most cases, independence comes into play because a master has little chance of inheriting his master's stable and therefore prefers to found his own.[31] To found the stable, a master must ask permission from the owner of the stable to which he belongs.[31] The creation of a stable is never immediate. Elders who wish to set one up usually stay with their former stable for a while as a coach, to learn how to manage it.[32] The new stable is usually founded by taking on some of the wrestlers from the old stable.[31] Since the foundation of a new stable is often based on the master's former stable, it is common for the new stable to maintain strong links with its original stable.[31] However, the creation of new stables remains a marginal phenomenon, as elders often lack the financial backing to become independent.[33] Rumor has it that you need to acquire around ¥200 million to found a stable.[32]

In general, a toshiyori is given full power to choose his successor as soon as a wrestler is eligible for that title by fulfilling the minimum requirements of the status.[34] There are, however, nuances in the inheritance of stables that differ slightly from the classic management of an elder share that would not be attached to the ownership of a stable. Stables can also be managed by family because a stablemaster is more likely to give his stable to a relative if the latter achieve sekitori status.[35] As stables are run on the basis of family relationships, it is indeed not uncommon for them to be inherited by a stablemaster's apprentices who have married into the stablemaster's family.[31][36] Thus, former yokozuna Sadanoyama had secured the inheritance of Dewanoumi stable by marrying the daughter of his master, former Dewanohana, to the detriment of former yokozuna Chiyonoyama.[31]

A heya is always named after the toshiyori kabu (the name of the elder share) owned by its head coach. An stablemaster is obligated to retire and pass on ownership of a heya at age 65. When a new oyakata who has not inherited the retiree's elder name takes over a heya, the name of the heya is generally changed to the new owner's elder name to reflect this.[37][38] Further oyakata may be attached to the stable.[39]

Historically, some stables like Tokitsukaze stable or Miyagino stable were founded by active wrestlers under the two-licence system because the masters did not yet secured the possession of an elder share and hence first created a training dojo instead of a proper stable. Other, like Takanohana stable, Kitanoumi stable or Taihō stable were named after the ring name of their founder when they became full fledged stables because the stablemaster received the honor of keeping his shikona as an elder name under the "lifetime share" system.

When a stable owner dies or retires, it is usually left to an active or retired member of the stable to take over the said stable.[31] In most cases, an oyakata will change his elder name in order to take over the reins of the stable.[31] To do so, he must make a traditional payment to the former stablemaster in order to inherit his elder share, as well as a payment for the building and land.[31] Since speculation on elder shares was driving up prices to the point of making them virtually unobtainable, it was not uncommon for masters to sign a contract with retiring stablemasters or their families to make monthly payments or rental fees if they were unable to provide the entire succession price at once.[31]

Finances

[edit]

Every month, stablemasters receive an additional sum with their salary to cover the needs of their stable.[40] These include the cost of buying food and maintaining the building and training equipment.[40] In addition to this maintenance sum, a fixed sum is paid for any wrestler in the stable who has not reached sekitori status.[41] A so-called "incentive" sum is also paid every tournament month, meaning every two months starting in January, for each wrestler trained to sekitori status.[41] This sum varies according to a wrestler's current rank: the higher he is in the hierarchy, the higher the sum paid to his stable master.[41] In this system, where the big stables receive large sums of money, the distribution of funds is designed as an incentive for elders to recruit and train winning wrestlers.[27]

Although the association gives money to the stables, they remain financially very complicated to maintain, with costs such as food purchases running into the thousands of US dollars per month.[27] Therefore, stables are largely dependent on support groups. These groups of patrons, known as koenkai, began to emerge during the late and mid-Edo period in Edo and Osaka.[41] The groups grew during the Meiji period, when nobles who had always formed wrestling groups turned away from the sport. In their place, associations of patrons were frequently formed to award prizes to wrestlers who scored well in tournaments.[42] The first two associations among the oldest known were the hinoshita kai (日下会) and the banzai kai (万歳会), the latter not being linked to any particular stable.[42] The practice of creating a patron's club to support famous wrestlers then developed in the early 20th century.[43] In those days, supporting wrestlers by taking them to lunch or paying for their entertainment was considered a great extravagance.[41] Nowadays, being seen in the company of wrestlers is still an indication of status and wealth.[41]

Patron groups can support specific stables or wrestlers. They vary in size according to popularity.[41] It's not unusual for koenkai to be run by powerful financiers or government officials, with a restricted and elitist group membership.[41] Although most of the support and sums paid to the stables remain secret, some relationships are well known, such as the relationship between the old Futagoyama stable (latterly known as the former Takanohana stable) and a Buddhist sect, which is said to have contributed the equivalent of $5 million to the stable.[44]

Women in the heya

[edit]

In the world of stables, there is no place for women with the exception of the stablemaster's wife and possibly a maid.[45] The wife of the stablemaster is known as the okamisan and she is expected to assist him.[30] To do this, she is traditionally expected to abandon her career and devote herself entirely to helping her husband.[46] She takes on the role of surrogate mother for the people attached to the stable, logically immitating the stablemaster's paternal role.[47] Since most young recruits become wrestlers after junior high school, the emotional and physical separation from their families can be very painful, and it's the okamisan's role to comfort and advise them.[48]

The role of an okamisan is to advise recruits and help with kitchen chores.[47] She is often responsible for relations outside the stable, whether with the wrestlers' families or the patron's organization.[30] It's not unusual for the okamisan herself to be familiar with the world of stables, and some are the daughters of sumo wrestlers who have become stablemasters in their own right.[48]

Due to the Shinto roots of professional sumo, women do not have full freedom of movement in the stable. Their actions are subject to the same restrictions, due to traditions that consider women's bodies impure, as other professional sumo-related events. In fact, even in the stable, a woman is not allowed to move around the training area, and must remain on the observation platform next to it to converse or watch the wrestlers.[49][50]

Regional tournaments

[edit]
Nobori banners outside of the training quarters of Takasago stable in Higashiōsaka. The left one bears the name of Asashōryū, while the right one bear the name of the stable.

When the stables have to travel outside Tokyo for the year's three outdoor tournaments, they often set up in shrine grounds.[2] During these tournaments, the relative independence of married wrestlers comes to an end, as they are obliged to stay with the rest of the wrestlers in the dormitory.[2]


Stablemates

[edit]

Recruitment and wrestlers

[edit]
Main article: Rikishi

Since the 1970s, sumo has developed an intensive scouting system.[51] The largest stables have established scouting networks throughout the country, partly supported with the help of their nationwide patron organizations, with retired wrestlers and patron-club members acting as part-time scouts for the stables.[51] It is also not rare for acquaintances of the coaches or stablemaster, or one of the stable wrestlers, to also bring potential apprentices to a specific stable.[52] When on provincial tours, masters always lookout for potential talent.[51][52] Despite all the efforts made by masters to attract new talent, it is often the case that young wrestlers are motivated to join the stable solely by the reputation and achievements of the current master.[53]

However, recruiting new wrestlers has become increasingly difficult. This is mainly due to low financial guarantees, as only wrestlers who have qualified as sekitori can earn a salary.[54] The rigors of stable life, typical of the lower ranks of the hierarchy, are also an obstacle.[54]


Foreign recruits

[edit]

When registering as a wrestler, foreigners must have the support of two guarantors.[54]

Stablemates matches

[edit]
The genkan of Dewanoumi stable

Since stable members live in a brotherhood similar to a family, they are forbidden to fight another member of their stable during tournaments.[55][56] This rule was introduced in particular because of the fear that wrestlers who share the same training, coaches, hobbies and meals would give in to the temptation of wanting to help a stablemate.[55] Since stables are generally created by transferring wrestlers from an original stable, match-ups between wrestlers who used to belong to the same stable are also avoided as much as possible.[31][55] Since wrestlers don't compete directly with each other, this system encourages a sense of unity and loyalty between members of a given stable.[47]

However, a special rule dictates that wrestlers from the same heya can fight each other in a playoff situation for a yūshō or divisional championship.[57][56] This notably worked to the advantages of Futagoyama stable's Takanohana, Wakanohana and Takanonami, during the 1994–2000 period, as they never had to fight each other when all three were at the top of the ranking, either ranked at ōzeki or yokozuna.[2]

Leaving the stable

[edit]

There is no player trades in professional sumo. When a wrestler begins his career in a stable, he is expected to stay there until he retires.[58] Rare exceptions are if the coach who originally scouted him leaves to found a new heya, in which case he might be permitted to follow him, or if a heya shuts down due to retirement or death of the stablemaster, mismanagement or financial reasons, the remaining wrestlers are often permitted to transfer to another heya, usually within the same ichimon.

Other personnel

[edit]

Active wrestlers and masters are not the only members of the Japan Sumo Association to be attached to the stables. All the traditional professions affiliated with the association are attached to the stable system.[2]

Wrestlers who have not attained the prerequisites to become a master or who have not been able to secure possession of an elder share may remain with their stable. Their tasks are to supervise the young wrestlers and manage minor jobs for the association. They essentially become contract employees, customarily retaining their old shikona as their professional name. They are separated into two distinct roles:

  • wakaimonogashira (若者頭), or "youth leaders", serving as officials of the association. They typically work at their former stables or within the associated ichimon. Wakaimonogashira are tasked with arranging maezumō matches and supervising young sumo wrestlers from makushita and below. They also appear in public next to the dohyō during the honbasho closing ceremony, receiving the trophies given to the tournament winner to return them backstage. There There is a maximum of eight wakaimonogashira within the Japan Sumo Association.[59][60]
  • sewanin (世話人), or "caretakers", work as transportation and storage managers, handling association equipment used for tournaments and regional tours. In addition they deal with miscellaneous, primarily physical tasks, as instructed by the master of the stable they belong to, or other association members (including wakaimonogashira). There can be only thirteen sewanin within the Japan Sumo Asscociation.[59][61]

In addition to the former wrestlers, the stables also host gyōji (referee) and yobidashi (handymen).[62] Both groups are involved in the management of their stables during the periods between tournaments, and it is not uncommon for referees to be entrusted with clerical work.[63]

Tokoyama (hairdressers) are also affiliated to the stables.[64] Stables that do not have their own tokoyama can rely on hairdressers from other stables belonging to the same ichimon (clan) to do their wrestlers' hair.[65][64] If a tokoyama's stable doesn't have a more experienced hairdresser, a hairdresser from the same ichimon will take over the apprenticeship.[66]

Life in the stable

[edit]

Building

[edit]
The Otowayama stable wooden nameplate was caligraphed by the head priest of the Kiyomizu-dera (in Kyoto), Mori Kiyonori, who is known for writing the emblematic kanji of the years in Japan.

The entrance to a stable is often marked by a calligraphic wooden nameplate.[58] Some of them are carefully written by famous caligraphers.[67]

Each stable features the same basic layouts, with common rooms that can be used as dormitories, a dining area, communal baths and a training room equiped with a dohyō (called keikoba).[6][68] Next to it, a wooden or tatami platform is set up so that masters can watch training more comfortably and visitors can observe the training session.[69][70] The stablemaster lives in his stable, with his quarters on the upper floors. He lives there with his family in an apartment better furnished than the rest of the building.[46]

An emblematic feature of stables, the keikoba is often located on the first floor.[70] This particularity is often a challenge for architects who work on the construction of stable buildings because this land is considered sacred ground and no one is supposed to walk or sleep above it.[29] Some stables have therefore decided to install their training ring on the top floor.[29] The floor of the training room is entirely covered with earth, and the walls are often clad with wooden planks, installed to absorb the shock of wrestlers who are pushed against the walls during training.[46] In the corners of the room are often teppō, wooden poles for practicing striking.[70] The training room is often equipped with several windows for ventilation, as most stables do not have air conditioning or heating installed in this room.[70] Since the floor is considered sacred ground, a kamidana (a small Shinto altar) is often hung on the wall.[70] Stables traditionally display their members' names and rankings on the wall of their training room. This is done using calligraphic wooden plaques.[70] Some stables decide not to imitate competition rings in order to minimize the risk of injury by removing straw limits, while others install several training dohyō to allow several apprentices to train at the same time.[29]

Until the end of the 1960s, a large number of stables were still housed in buildings in a dilapidated state. During the 1970s, many stables began to undertake renovation work, aided by the success of its star wrestlers (such as Taihō for Nishonoseki stable and Takamiyama for Takasago stable).[29] Most of the stables are located in the district of Ryōgoku of Sumida, Tokyo, which is the original home of the first real professional sumo arena. Even during the period when the association's headquarters were relocated to the Kuramae neighborhood (in Taitō) with the Kuramae Kokugikan, no stable made the choice to move out of the Ryōgoku district.[71]

A strict lifestyle

[edit]
Training session in Tomozuma stable in 1998.

Life in a stable is organized on the basis of a social structure similar to that of a family home and a paramilitary organization.[72] Stable management is above all autocratic and incorporates elements of communal life.[4] Most wrestlers, and all junior-ranked ones, live in their stable in a dormitory style: training, cleaning, eating, sleeping and socializing together.[73] At the top of the social pyramid, the shishō (師匠, stablemaster) takes on a paternal role.[6][47] Of all the coaches potentially present in the stable, he alone is the owner of the stable and therefore the highest authority in communal life.[74]

The treatment a wrestler receives in his stable is based exclusively on his ranking.[65] Upon joining the stable, a young recruit is assigned to a more experienced wrestler. In theory, this mentoring by a senior wrestler is encouraged so that a newcomer is familiar with the codes of stable life. In practice, however, recruits become responsible for so many chores that they can be considered "personal slaves".[47] At the very top of the active wrestlers is the heya-gashira, the highest-ranked wrestler in his stable.[6]

Wrestlers ranked in the lower divisions get up at dawn (usually around four or five) to do morning chores around the building and stretch in preparation for the usual empty stomach morning training.[75][76] Just before the training session, the day's lunch team begin their preparations.[75] The morning exercises done by the wrestlers are designed to exhaust wrestlers and strengthen their fighting spirit, and are repeated every morning without exception.[77] Gradually by rank, the wrestlers join in the training and the stablemaster only appears once the sandanme wrestlers have started training.[75] Sekitori-ranked wrestlers always turn up last at training sessions, often around eight o'clock, and their assistants have to temporarily leave the training to help them put on their mawashi.[76][77] On arrival at the training hall, sekitori are systematically greeted by wrestlers of lower rank than themselves.[77]

When the sekitori practice is at its height, the stable cooks begin to prepare the first and major meal of the day (usually chankonabe).[78] The chankoban (ちゃんこ番), meaning being responsible for preparing the meal, is a rotating task that includes shopping the day before, preparing the meal and making sure the kitchen is clean after use.[79] In most stables the cooking brigade is supervised by one of the oldest and most experienced of the low-ranking wrestler, the chanko-cho,[80] often affectionately referred to as ojii-chan (おじいちゃん, lit. 'grandpa').[78] Although chankonabe recipes have been homogenized, each stable is known for a its specific recipe, each with its own ingredients and flavors.[81] Around eleven, the wrestlers all head for the baths-in descending order of rank, so that the sekitori always benefit from a clean bathroom.[78] Wrestlers eat by turns according to rank.[82] The sekitori are served by makushita wrestlers, who are in turn served by sandamme wrestlers, and so on down to the youngest apprentices.[82] The lowest ranks, who were up and working before anyone else, must patiently and hungrily wait until all of the others have finished and gone upstairs to have a siesta-like nap.[82] Within the stable, only wrestlers who have qualified as sekitori have the right to a private room, with the rest of the wrestlers sleeping in a dormitory-like communal room.[75] Since the vast majority of wrestlers live in this room, it often lacks space and can only accommodate a futon and a few personal belongings.[6] Even the sekitori's private rooms can seem small by Western standards.[6] Wrestlers who have obtained the right to marry may move out of the stable to live with their spouse.[58]

During the afternoon hours, the non-sekitori wrestlers often take on other tasks, such as cleaning the entire stable and the baths, emptying the garbage cans or doing the laundry and drying the used mawashi.[83] After these chores, it is not unusual for a stable to be perfectly silent.[82] Afternoon periods are generally devoted to relations with support organizations and fan clubs, hobbies, or taking care of a family, if a wrestler has obtained the right to marry.[82]

On the evening of the end of a tournament, the stables organize an uchiage, a party including all stable members and patron groups.[84]

New evolutions

[edit]
A charity sale of chankonabe (stew) by Kise stable wrestlers (left: Ura, then relegated to sandanme) in 2018.

From old sport to a need to evolve to inspire new generations

Being more of a neighborhood center with Asahiyama stable (2016)



Most heya allow visitors to watch early morning training (keiko) free of charge, although rules vary from stable to stable as to the size of the group and whether advance notice or a Japanese speaker are required.[85][86]

The ichimon

[edit]



As in other traditional disciplines such as Noh or Shogi, where players belong to schools which in turn belong to larger groups of traditions, heya belong to groups formed throughout the history of sumo.[88] In professional sumo, these groups are called ichimon (一門, lit. 'clan' or 'family'), a grouping of stables in which each stable must be affiliated.[33] Because of their specific nature, clans are also sometimes referred to as the sports equivalent of a traditional family or a commonwealths.[89][90]

Each ichimon answers to its honke, its mother house, which is the stable whose name is used to designate the entire clan. The clan's other stables are referred to as bunke (branches).[89] If an elder decides to set up his own stable and he and his former master part on good terms, his stable will be part of the same group as his original stable.[90] The organization of the clan system is particularly important within the Japan Sumo Association, as its balance determines the positions of directors and the balance of power within the board of directors ahead of the elections.[91]

Of the five current clans, not all enjoy the same aura or influence within the association. The powers of the various clans have also evolved with the association itself.

Evolutions

[edit]

Although the term ichimon did not appeared until the Shōwa era,[92] the system itself dates back to the Edo period.[93] Originally, ichimons were called kumiai (組合, union), with the meaning of an "itinerant group".[88][92] Before the Shōwa era, the operation of professional sumo revolved around these independant groups under the patronage of the sumo association.[93] Without earned wages, wrestlers belonging to the stables of a particular union were largely dependent on the income from tours organized by the said union. These tours were organized by the unions themselves, and there was no association-wide tour system.[92]

The clan system became even more important at the end of the Taishō era. At the time, professional sumo was shaken by social movements and the tournament system, where wrestlers competed according to banzuke (sumo ranking sheet) divisions (east or west) and were forbidden to face wrestlers from the same division, offered little diversity in the matches.[94] In 1932, the last major wrestlers' strike in history broke out with the Shunjuen Incident. That movement called for fundamental reform within the newly created Japan Sumo Association.[95] Following the resignation of a significant number of wrestlers, the association acceded to a number of their demands and created the clan competition system, allowing more wrestlers to compete against each other in matches, the only restriction being that wrestlers from the same clan couldn't compete against each other.[94] However, this system favoured the largest clans.[90] Following political pressure to reform the association in 1957, the clan competition system was abolished to introduce a round-robin tournament system. The current system, based on stables, was adopted in 1965.[92] Because of the traditional construction of professional sumo, the clan system was able to survive because the modern factions had been built on the basis of personal relationships between the masters and the students.[93]

In the past, the clans were close-knit, but this bond has weakened with time and the reforms of professional sumo. Elders' ambition has also caused some clans to splinter, turning a cohesive landscape into a fragmented one.[89]

Dewanoumi ichimon

[edit]

The Dewanoumi ichimon (出羽海一門) enjoys a reputation as a pillar of the association's history.[93] Led by prominent figures in the sport such as former yokozuna Hitachiyama, this clan had a policy of centralization, not allowing any oyakata to become independent of the stable until Tochigiyama's independence in 1925.[93]

Nishonoseki ichimon

[edit]

The Nishonoseki ichimon (二所ノ関一門), also sometimes called the Nishonoseki-Futagoyama clan,[91] gained influence after the war, while being led by then-young figures like Taihō and Kotozakura I. In the 90s, the WakaTaka boom (若貴ブーム) was also initiated by wrestlers from the clan.

Tokitsukaze ichimon

[edit]

The Tokitsukaze ichimon (時津風一門) is also an influential clan, thanks in part to former yokozuna Futabayama and to the efforts of Yutakayama Katsuo.

Takasago ichimon

[edit]

Although the Takasago ichimon (髙砂一門), sometimes referred as the Takasago-Kokonoe clan,[91] is the oldest of all the existing clans, it is also the smallest. The clan seems to be losing momentum with the lack of iconic wrestlers in recent years, despite a large part of the clan's influence being due to Kokonoe stable and to the emblematic wrestler Chiyonofuji and the wrestlers he raised.[93]

Isegahama ichimon

[edit]

The Isegahama ichimon (伊勢ヶ濱一門), formely referred as the Tatsunami-Isegahama clan,[33][91] is one of the smallest and lacks influence, notably because its stables had few links with each other before the clan was founded.[93] During the golden age of the Dewanoumi ichimon, when the latter dominated competitions with yokozuna Tsunenohana and Tochigiyama, the Isegahama ichimon managed to stand out under the impetus of former sekiwake Kiyosegawa [ja] and Hatasegawa [ja].[96] Despite being the clan of origin of wrestlers such as Hakuhō and the current sole yokozuna, Terunofuji, the Isegahama clan is the only one to have never acceded to the association's chairmanship.[97]

Historical ichimon

[edit]

There was a multitude of clans in the past, some of them having been dismanteled.

Operation

[edit]

The ichimon are encouraged to support each other.[33] This support is shown above all during training sessions, with the clans regularly organising and taking part in joint training sessions. These sessions, called degeiko (出稽古) offer wrestlers (and mainly sekitori) a chance for more rewarding training by expanding the number of wrestlers they can train with.[98] Each clan has its own way of doing things. For example, it is customary for the Nishonoseki ichimon to organise six joint training sessions a year.[88] Within the Dewanoumi ichimon, it is often the Dewanoumi and Kasugano stables that meet in preparation for the January tournament.[88]

Outside of training sessions, members of an ichimon are expected to attend the wedding and funeral of a member of the same clan. Similarly, when a promotion is announced, it is customary for members of a clan to attend to congratulate the promoted wrestler.[88] After a wrestler is promoted to the rank of yokozuna, it is traditional for the ceremony to create his tsuna (sacred rope belt) to be organized by his stable and those of his ichimon.[99] It is also customary for a yokozuna to perform his ring-entering ceremony accompanied by a tsuyuharai and a tachimochi from his clan.[88]

However, the most visible part of the support shown by the ichimon is political, with the association's chairman elected every two years.[91] The ichimon serves as quasi-political groupings, each clan nominating candidates for the ten positions or so that are available on the association's board each election cycle.[87] Each vote is normally along the interests of the ichimon, which explain why the bigger clans more often holds the association's chairmanship.[89][100] Former wrestler popularity however plays a role in the credit given to an application. For example, former yokozuna Takanohana won four straight election bids to become director before his demotion in 2018, despite being the leader of a (now dissolved) small ichimon.[101]

The ichimon also plays a role in the appointment of shimpan (judges) who can question the decision made by the referees during matches, each clan having a number of judges reserved for it in this department of the association, which has only twenty members.[71]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ When coming second in a compound word, heya is pronounced "-beya" due to a Japanese phonological tendency called rendaku. For example, Kokonoe stable is called "Kokonoe-beya" and a sumo stable is referred to as "sumo-beya".[3][4]
  2. ^ As of October 2024, the stables are distributed by clans as follow with (from most to least) Nishonoseki (17 stables), followed by Dewanoumi (14), Isegahama (5), Tokitsukaze (5) and Takasago (4).[9]

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b c Gunning, John (18 September 2018). "Sumo 101: Heya (Stables)". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 16 April 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e Newton & Toff 2000, p. 110.
  3. ^ a b c Cuyler 1979, p. 72.
  4. ^ a b Kenrick 1969, p. 51.
  5. ^ a b "Sumo stable". Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary (4th ed.). Kenkyusha Limited. 1990. ISBN 4-7674-2015-6.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Buckingham 1994, p. 82.
  7. ^ Schilling 1994, p. 56.
  8. ^ Cuyler 1979, p. 137.
  9. ^ "List of elder stocks by occupation and attachment to sumo stables and clans". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  10. ^ a b c Ikeda, Masao (1998). "相撲部屋". The Revised New Edition of the World Encyclopaedia (in Japanese). Heibonsha. ISBN 4582040012. Retrieved 23 February 2024 – via Kotobank.
  11. ^ a b Kakuma 1993, p. 16.
  12. ^ Cuyler 1979, p. 58.
  13. ^ Cuyler 1979, pp. 58–59.
  14. ^ a b Cuyler 1979, p. 73.
  15. ^ Schilling 1994, p. 110.
  16. ^ Cuyler 1979, p. 76.
  17. ^ Cuyler 1979, pp. 95–96.
  18. ^ Cuyler 1979, p. 96.
  19. ^ Kakuma 1993, p. 17.
  20. ^ a b Cuyler 1979, p. 116.
  21. ^ Newton & Toff 2000, p. 60.
  22. ^ Cuyler 1979, p. 128.
  23. ^ Cuyler 1979, pp. 128–129.
  24. ^ a b Cuyler 1979, p. 129.
  25. ^ West 1997, pp. 195–196.
  26. ^ "新生武蔵川部屋が看板披露「涙出そうだ」" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 24 April 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  27. ^ a b c d West 1997, p. 176.
  28. ^ a b Cuyler 1979, p. 144.
  29. ^ a b c d e Kenrick 1969, p. 53.
  30. ^ a b c d Newton & Toff 2000, p. 113.
  31. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Cuyler 1979, p. 145.
  32. ^ a b Kakuma 1993, p. 43.
  33. ^ a b c d Hall 1997, p. 97.
  34. ^ West 1997, p. 167.
  35. ^ Buckingham 1994, p. 130.
  36. ^ Schilling 1994, p. 76.
  37. ^ Kenrick 1969, p. 45.
  38. ^ Kenrick 1969, p. 52.
  39. ^ Gunning, John (2018-09-18). "Sumo 101: Heya (Stables)". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
  40. ^ a b Cuyler 1979, p. 146.
  41. ^ a b c d e f g h Cuyler 1979, p. 147.
  42. ^ a b Cuyler 1979, pp. 103–104.
  43. ^ Cuyler 1979, p. 104.
  44. ^ West 1997, p. 177.
  45. ^ Kenrick 1969, p. 54.
  46. ^ a b c Schilling 1994, p. 59.
  47. ^ a b c d e West 1997, p. 171.
  48. ^ a b Buckingham 1994, p. 145.
  49. ^ Buckingham 1994, pp. 39–40.
  50. ^ Schilling 1994, pp. 78–79.
  51. ^ a b c Cuyler 1979, p. 148.
  52. ^ a b Kenrick 1969, p. 41.
  53. ^ Cuyler 1979, p. 149.
  54. ^ a b c Cuyler 1979, p. 150.
  55. ^ a b c Kenrick 1969, p. 58.
  56. ^ a b Kakuma 1993, pp. 34–35.
  57. ^ Hall 1997, p. 80.
  58. ^ a b c Hall 1997, p. 17.
  59. ^ a b Kitade Koichi (6 July 2021). "特集 - 大相撲の力士をやめたらどうなるの？". NHK (in Japanese). Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  60. ^ Buckingham 1994, p. 208.
  61. ^ Buckingham 1994, p. 161.
  62. ^ Kakuma 1993, pp. 54–55.
  63. ^ Nema, Hiromi (2011). 大相撲行司の世界 [The World of Sumo Gyoji] (in Japanese). Yoshikawa Kobunkan Co. ISBN 978-4642057325.
  64. ^ a b Hall 1997, p. 104.
  65. ^ a b Cuyler 1979, p. 139.
  66. ^ "伝統の「カミ」技で大相撲を支える、床山の世界 ～特等床山・床鶴氏インタビュー・前編～". Waraku Magazine [ja] (in Japanese). Shogakukan. 30 April 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  67. ^ "音羽山部屋が看板披露　元横綱鶴竜「恥じないように頑張っていく」清水寺の森清範貫主が揮毫" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  68. ^ Buckingham 1994, p. 23.
  69. ^ Buckingham 1994, p. 39.
  70. ^ a b c d e f Hall 1997, p. 19.
  71. ^ a b Newton & Toff 2000, p. 23.
  72. ^ West 1997, p. 170.
  73. ^ Schilling 1994, p. 25.
  74. ^ Buckingham 1994, p. 83.
  75. ^ a b c d Cuyler 1979, p. 140.
  76. ^ a b Newton & Toff 2000, p. 112.
  77. ^ a b c Cuyler 1979, p. 141.
  78. ^ a b c Cuyler 1979, p. 142.
  79. ^ Buckingham 1994, p. 46.
  80. ^ Buckingham 1994, p. 6.
  81. ^ Newton & Toff 2000, p. 127.
  82. ^ a b c d e Cuyler 1979, p. 143.
  83. ^ Hall 1997, p. 30.
  84. ^ Newton & Toff 2000, pp. 123–124.
  85. ^ Gilhooly, Rob (15 April 2001). "Free sumo stable visits available". Japan Times. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  86. ^ Gunning, John (21 February 2024). "Texan newcomer helps dispel the myth that sumo is a closed world". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 22 February 2024. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  87. ^ a b Gunning, John (12 May 2019). "Sumo 101: Ichimon". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 21 October 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  88. ^ a b c d e f "大相撲の一門って、いったい何なの？" (in Japanese). NHK. 29 March 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  89. ^ a b c d Schilling 1994, p. 54.
  90. ^ a b c Buckingham 1994, p. 90.
  91. ^ a b c d e West 1997, p. 175.
  92. ^ a b c d "相撲部屋の一門の変遷" [The evolution of the sumo clans]. Sumo Magazine [ja] (March 2012). Baseball Magazine, Inc.: 94.
  93. ^ a b c d e f g "大相撲の一門とは その成り立ちと各一門の歴史や特徴を解説" (in Japanese). Spaia Sports. 8 February 2022. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  94. ^ a b "第 153 回常設展示 「国技・相撲」-近代以降の事件と名力士-" [153rd Permanent Exhibition "Sumo, the national sport" - incidents and famous wrestlers since the modern era] (PDF). Sumo Magazine [ja] (in Japanese). 2 (February 1965). Baseball Magazine, Inc. – via National Diet Library.
  95. ^ Cuyler 1979, pp. 112–113.
  96. ^ "旧宮城野部屋と一門のチカラ～リスタートで盛況必至の夏場所" (in Japanese). Victory Sports Magazine. 11 May 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  97. ^ "【甘口辛口】口止め工作まで発覚した北青鵬問題　力士獲得ルートを確保した宮城野親方の手腕も使い方誤れば小賢しい隠蔽に…" (in Japanese). Sankei Sports. 25 February 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  98. ^ Buckingham 1994, p. 54.
  99. ^ Hall 1997, pp. 44–45.
  100. ^ Gunning, John (21 July 2019). "Sumo 101: JSA chairman". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 22 July 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  101. ^ "Sumo elder Takanohana fails to regain director seat on JSA board". The Japan Times. 2 February 2018. Archived from the original on 2 February 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2022.

Bibliography

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sumo stables.

* Category:Japanese martial arts terminology Category:Sport in Japan Category:Sumo terminology

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