List of sumo stables

The following is an alphabetical list of heya or training stables in professional sumo. All belong to one of five groups, called ichimon. These groups, led by the stable by which each group is named, are in order of size: Dewanoumi ichimon, Nishonoseki ichimon, Tokitsukaze ichimon, Takasago ichimon and Isegahama ichimon. Occasionally there have been independent stables, but the Japan Sumo Association agreed at a director's meeting in July 2018 that all sumo elders must belong to one of the five ichimon. The founding dates listed below are for the current incarnation of each stable; in most cases this is not the first stable to exist under a given name, however.

The number of stables peaked at 54, with the opening of Onoe stable in August 2006. In order to limit the over-proliferation of stables, the Japan Sumo Association introduced new rules the following month that greatly raised the qualifications needed by former wrestlers wishing to branch out (namely, those ranked below yokozuna or ōzeki must have spent at least 60 tournaments in the top makuuchi division or 25 in the titled san'yaku ranks). Discounting the temporary closure of Kise stable from 2010-2012, over six years no new stables established while eleven folded, bringing the number of stables to 43. The streak of closures ended with the opening of former yokozuna Musashimaru's Musashigawa stable in April 2013, hence the opening and closing of stables has stabilized. There are 44 stables, all of which are located in the Greater Tokyo Region, especially in Tokyo's Ryogoku district.

The governing body of professional sumo is the Japan Sumo Association. Six tournaments are held every year: three in Tokyo (January, May and September) and one each in Osaka (March), Nagoya (July) and Fukuoka (November). Each tournament lasts 15 days during which wrestlers compete in one bout per day. All sumo wrestlers are classified in a ranking hierarchy (banzuke), which is updated after each tournament based on the wrestlers' performance. Wrestlers with more wins than losses go up while those with negative records are demoted. The top division is Makuuchi and the second division is Juryo. At the pinnacle of sumo hierarchy is yokozuna.

Pronunciation note

Due to a Japanese speech phenomenon known as rendaku, when the word for stable, heya, comes second in a compound word, the "h" in heya changes to "b" to become beya. A sumo stable is pronounced in Japanese as "sumo-beya" and Arashio stable, as an example, is pronounced "Arashio-beya".

Active stables

There are 46 stables as of May 2024.

Mergers and closures (1994 to present)

• Miyagino stable closes April 2024, wrestlers and coaches move to Isegahama stable
• Michinoku stable closes April 2024, wrestlers and coaches move to the Otawayama, Oitekaze, Isenoumi and Arashio stables
• Oguruma stable closes February 2022, personnel split between Oshiogawa stable and Nishonoseki stable
• Kagamiyama stable closes July 2021, all wrestlers and personnel move to Isenoumi stable
• Azumazeki stable closes April 2021, wrestlers move to Hakkaku stable
• Minezaki stable closes April 2021, wrestlers move to Shibatayama stable, some other personnel to Takadagawa stable and Nishiiwa stable
• Nakagawa stable closes July 2020, wrestlers and/or personnel move to Arashio, Asahiyama, Isenoumi, Kataonami, Miyagino, Oitekaze, Tokitsukaze, and Tomozuna stables
• Izutsu stable closes September 2019, wrestlers and personnel move to Michinoku stable
• Takanohana stable closes October 2018, wrestlers and personnel move to Chiganoura stable
• Kasugayama stable closes October 2016, some wrestlers retire, other wrestlers and personnel move to Oitekaze stable
• Asahiyama stable closes January 2015, all wrestlers and some personnel move to Isegahama, some other personnel move to Asakayama.
• Mihogaseki stable closes October 2013, wrestlers move to Kasugano
• Magaki stable closes March 2013, wrestlers move to Isegahama
• Hanaregoma stable closes February 2013, wrestlers move to Shibatayama
• Nishonoseki stable closes January 2013, remaining wrestlers retire, other personnel move to Matsugane
• Nakamura stable closes December 2012, wrestlers move to Azumazeki
• Hanakago stable closes May 2012, wrestlers move to Minezaki
• Ōshima stable closes April 2012, wrestlers move to Tomozuna
• Tagonoura stable closes February 2012, wrestlers move to Dewanoumi and Kasugano
• Takashima stable closes June 2011, head coach moves to Kasugayama
• Kiriyama stable closes January 2011, wrestlers move to Asahiyama
• Araiso stable closes September 2008, one remaining wrestler moves to Hanakago
• Isegahama stable closes February 2007, wrestlers move to Kiriyama
• Hatachiyama stable closes June 2006, wrestlers move to Kitanoumi
• Oshiogawa stable closes March 2005, wrestlers move to Oguruma
• Takekuma Stable closes March 2004, no wrestlers are left but head coach moves to Tomozuna
• Kabutoyama stable closes December 2002, no wrestlers are left but head coach moves to Minato
• Wakamatsu stable merges with Takasago in February 2002
• Tatsutagawa stable closes November 2000, wrestlers move to Michinoku
• Kise stable closes February 2000, wrestlers move to Kiriyama
• Kumagatani stable closes April 1996, wrestlers move to Tatsunami
• Ōnaruto stable closes December 1994, wrestlers move to Kiriyama

Name changes (2003 to present)

• Irumagawa stable is renamed Ikazuchi stable in January 2023.
• Tomozuna stable is renamed Ōshima stable in February 2022.
• Nishonoseki stable is renamed Hanaregoma stable in December 2021.
• Araiso stable is renamed Nishonoseki stable in December 2021.
• Chiganoura stable is renamed Tokiwayama stable in November 2020.
• Kitanoumi stable is renamed Yamahibiki stable in November 2015.
• Matsugane stable is renamed Nishonoseki stable in December 2014.
• Naruto stable is renamed Tagonoura stable in December 2013.
• Musashigawa stable is renamed Fujishima stable in September 2010.
• Ajigawa stable is renamed Isegahama stable in November 2007.
• Futagoyama stable is renamed Takanohana stable in February 2004.
• Taihō stable is renamed Ōtake stable in February 2003.
• Nakadachi stable is renamed Sakaigawa stable in January 2003.

See also

• List of sumo elders
• Heya - sumo stable information
• Japan Sumo Association
• Toshiyori - sumo elder information
• List of active sumo wrestlers
• List of past sumo wrestlers
• List of yokozuna
• Glossary of sumo terms

Notes

References

External links

• Map of Sumo Association heya and official venues
• Japan Sumo Association list of heya