Kokonoe stable

Kokonoe stable (九重部屋, Kokonoe beya) is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Takasago group of stables. It was formed in 1967 and until 2021 was located in Ishiwara, Sumida, Tokyo. As of January 2023 it had 26 sumo wrestlers, four of whom are of sekitori rank. It is the most successful stable in terms of total yūshō won by its wrestlers, with 52.[1]

The previous Kokonoe stable location, which closed in 2021.

History

Former yokozuna Chiyonoyama of Dewanoumi stable had wanted to succeed to the Dewanoumi name, but the then Dewanoumi stablemaster (former wrestler Dewanohana) had already decided to pass the name to former yokozuna Sadanoyama. Accordingly, in January 1967, he set up his own stable, taking with him, amongst others, then ōzeki Kitanofuji and attaching the new stable to the Takasago group of stables.

After Chiyonoyama died in 1977, Kitanofuji, who had already revived Izutsu stable, became the 11th Kokonoe-oyakata, merging his stable with Kokonoe's and giving up the Izutzu elder name. He raised Chiyonofuji, then a makuuchi wrestler, to the great yokozuna he became. Later he also saw Hokutoumi become a yokozuna. Takanofuji and Fujinoshin also reached the top division.

In 1992, the year after Chiyonofuji retired from the ring, Kitanofuji handed over the stable to him. Chiyonofuji and Kitanofuji swapped names, Chiyonofuji becoming Kokonoe-oyakata and gaining control of the stable, whilst Kitanofuji became Jinmaku-oyakata, attached to Hakkaku stable, set up by the former Hokutoumi in 1993. In the early 1990s Kokonoe stable was one of the largest in sumo but had only one sekitori, Tomoefuji. Kokonoe eventually produced Chiyotenzan, briefly a komusubi in 1999, and long serving ōzeki Chiyotaikai (1999–2009), his most successful wrestler. Following the retirements of Chiyotaikai in January 2010 and Chiyohakuhō in April 2011, the stable had no sekitori for a short time, but Chiyonokuni reached jūryō in July 2011 and the top division in January 2012. Chiyotairyū followed afterwards and reached makuuchi in May 2012. By March 2014, Kokonoe stable was one of the most successful stables in sumo, with three men (Chiyotairyū, Chiyoōtori and Chiyomaru) in the top division and two (Chiyonokuni and Chiyono-ō) in jūryō. In January 2016 the stable moved up to six sekitori with the promotion of Chiyoshōma, the most of any stable. As of September 2020 it remains at six, now level with Kise and one behind new leader Oitekaze.

Chiyonofuji died in July 2016.[2] Sanoyama-oyakata (the former Chiyotaikai) succeeded him as the Kokonoe stablemaster.[1]

In February 2021 Kokonoe stable moved to new premises in Okudo, Katsushika ward. The previous space in Sumida was converted into a restaurant, Chanko Chiyonofuji, named after the late grand champion. The restaurant opened in February 2023 and overlooks the dohyō training space formerly used by the stable. Various trophies won by Chiyonofuji over the years are also displayed.[3]

On 7 February 2023, Kokonoe stable, along with Ōshima stable and Futagoyama stable, signed a partnership and cooperation agreement with the Katsushika Ward of Tokyo. The agreement was presented as having the objective of cooperating further in a wide range of areas, including tourism, culture, sports, and educational promotion, and work closely to revitalize local communities.[4]

Ring name conventions

Traditionally many wrestlers at this stable, often on reaching the sandanme division, take ring names or shikona that begin with the characters 千代 (read: chiyo), meaning "a thousand generations", in deference to the founder, Chiyonoyama and also his later successor Chiyonofuji. As of March 2018, all wrestlers at the stable, including those in the bottom two divisions, have this prefix.

Owners

Notable active wrestlers
See also: sekitori

Coach

Notable former members

Referees
  • 3rd Kimura Yōdō (san'yaku gyōji, real name Yūji Horasawa)
  • Kimura Kōnosuke (san'yaku gyōji, real name Toshiaki Kojima)
  • Kimura Ryunosuke (jonidan gyōji, real name Haruto Kajita)

Ushers
  • Shigeo (san'yaku yobidashi, real name Takumi Taniguchi)
  • Shigetarō (jūryō yobidashi, real name Katsunori Hattori)
  • Shigejiro (sandanme yobidashi, real name Keisuke Miyagi)

Hairdressers
  • Tokotake (1st class tokoyama)
  • Tokokyū (2nd class tokoyama)

Location and access

1-21-14 Okudo, Katsushika ward, Tokyo
20-minute walk from Shin-Koiwa Station (Sōbu Line Local and Rapid)

See also

References
  1. "Chiyotaikai succeeds Chiyonofuji as stablemaster". Japan Times. 3 August 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  2. "Sumo: Wrestlers pay tribute following Chiyonofuji's early death". The Mainichi. 1 August 2016. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  3. "千代の富士の旧九重部屋、ちゃんこ屋に生まれ変わりオープン　本物の土俵にウルフの忘れ形見も" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 20 February 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  4. "九重、二子山、大島の相撲部屋３部屋が葛飾区と連携・協力協定　地元に「一生懸命恩返し」". Nikkan Sports. 7 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
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