is a stable

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, one of the Takasago group of stables. It was formed in 1967 and is located in Ishiwara, Sumida, Tokyo

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...

. As of April 2008 it had 16 sumo wrestlers.

History

Former yokozuna Chiyonoyama Masanobu

Chiyonoyama Masanobu

Chiyonoyama Masanobu was a sumo wrestler from Fukushima, Hokkaidō, Japan. He was the sport's 41st Yokozuna. He was also the founder of Kokonoe stable.-Career:...

 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....

 had wanted to succeed to the Dewanoumi name, but the then Dewanoumi-oyakata (former wrestler Dewanohana) had already decided to pass the name to former yokozuna Sadanoyama Shinmatsu

Sadanoyama Shinmatsu

Sadanoyama Shinmatsu is a former sumo wrestler from Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. He was the sport's 50th Yokozuna...

. Accordingly, in January 1967, he set up his own stable, taking with him, amongst others, then ōzeki Kitanofuji Katsuaki

Kitanofuji Katsuaki

Kitanofuji Katsuaki 北の富士勝昭 is a former sumo wrestler, born in Asahikawa, Hokkaidō, Japan. He was the sport's 52nd Yokozuna. He was also the head coach of Kokonoe stable.-Career:...

 and attaching the new stable to the Takasago group of stables.

After Chiyonoyama died in 1977, Kitanofuji, who had already revived Izutsu stable

Izutsu stable

is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tokitsukaze group of stables.The stable was established in the Meiji era by former yokozuna Nishinoumi Kajirō I, the 16th yokozuna, who became the 7th Izutsu-oyakata. He was succeeded by Nishinoumi Kajirō II, the 25th yokozuna...

, became the 11th Kokonoe-oyakata. He raised Chiyonofuji Mitsugu

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....

, then a makuuchi

Makuuchi

or is the top division of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers , ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments....

 wrestler, to the great yokozuna he became. Later he also saw Hokutoumi

Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi

Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi is a former sumo wrestler from Hokkaidō, Japan. He is the sport's 61st Yokozuna. He is now the head coach of Hakkaku stable.-Early life:...

 become a yokozuna. Takanofuji and Fujinoshin also reached the top division.

In 1992, the year after Chiyonofuji retired from the ring, Kitonofuji handed over the stable to him. In 1993 Hokutoumi retired, setting up Hakkaku stable. Chiyonofuji and Kitanofuji swapped names, Chiyonofuji becoming Kokonoe-oyakata and gaining control of the stable, whilst Kitanofuji became Jinmaku-oyakata, attached to Hakkaku stable

Hakkaku stable

is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Takasago group of stables.The stable was established on 27 September 1993 by former yokozuna Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi, who took with him four wrestlers from Kokonoe stable. The stable has so far produced nine sekitori, and three makuuchi wrestlers...

. In the early 1990s the stable was one of the largest in sumo but had only one 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...

, Tomoefuji. Kokonoe eventually produced Chiyotenzan, briefly a komusubi, and long serving ozeki Chiyotaikai. Following the retirements of Chiyotaikai and Chiyohakuho, the stable had no sekitori for a short time, but Chiyonokuni reached juryo in July 2011.

Kokonoe-oyakata

• 11th: Kokonoe Masanobu (former yokozuna Chiyonoyama Masanobu
  Chiyonoyama Masanobu
  Chiyonoyama Masanobu was a sumo wrestler from Fukushima, Hokkaidō, Japan. He was the sport's 41st Yokozuna. He was also the founder of Kokonoe stable.-Career:...
  
  )
• 12th: Kokonoe Katsuaki (former yokozuna Kitanofuji Katsuaki
  Kitanofuji Katsuaki
  Kitanofuji Katsuaki 北の富士勝昭 is a former sumo wrestler, born in Asahikawa, Hokkaidō, Japan. He was the sport's 52nd Yokozuna. He was also the head coach of Kokonoe stable.-Career:...
  
  )
• 13th: Kokonoe Mitsugu (former yokozuna Chiyonofuji Mitsugu
  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....
  
  )

Gyoji

• Keinosuke Kimura (real name Yuji Horasawa) - makuuchi referee
• Konosuke Kimura (Toshiaki Kojima) - makuuchi referee

Yobidashi

• Shigeo (Takumi Taniguchi) - makuuchi yobidashi
• Shigetaro (Katsunori Hattori) - makushita yobidashi

Toshiyori

• Sanoyama (former ozeki Chiyotaikai)
• Oshiogawa (former komusubi Toki
  Toki Susumu
  Tōki Susumu is a former sumo wrestler from Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was komusubi. He is now a sumo coach.-Career:Tōki began his career in January 1991 after joining the Takasago stable...
  
  )

External links

• Official site
• Kokonoe stable page at Japan Sumo Association (English) (Japanese)
• Article on Kokonoe stable