Shibatayama stable

Shibatayama Stable (Japanese: 芝田山部屋, Shibatayama-beya) is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Nishonoseki group of stables. It was founded in 1999 by former yokozuna Ōnokuni. Located in Suginami, it is the only stable to be situated in the western half of Tokyo as of 2020.^[1]

Mongolian born Daiyubu [ja] became the stable's first wrestler to earn promotion to the jūryō division, in March 2008, but he only lasted one tournament in the division and left sumo in acrimonious circumstances in 2010, claiming in a lawsuit that was eventually settled out of court that he had been forced to retire against his will. In February 2013 the stable absorbed its parent Hanaregoma stable due to the imminent retirement of its stablemaster, former ōzeki Kaiketsu. Among the wrestlers transferring was another Mongolian, Sakigake [ja], who was ranked in jūryō for five tournaments between January 2014 and January 2015. In January 2020 returned to jūryō after 30 tournaments away.

In March 2016 Shibatayama and wrestler Komanokuni were ordered by the Tokyo District Court to pay 32.4 million yen (287,500 USD) in compensation to a former wrestler who the court ruled had faced "daily abuse" since joining in 2008 and had to undergo four surgeries for a detached retina, eventually losing sight in the eye in 2013.^[2] Shibatayama appealed the ruling,^[2] and in November 2016 a court-mediated, confidential settlement was reached. As of January 2023, it had nine wrestlers.

The stable is unusual in that its training dohyō is located in the basement.^[1]

Ring name conventions

Many wrestlers at this stable take ring names or shikona that include either the character 大 (read: ō or dai) or 国 (read: kuni), in deference to their coach and the stable's owner, the former Ōnokuni whose shikona included both characters.

Owner

1999–present: 12th Shibatayama (riji, the 62nd yokozuna, Ōnokuni)

Notable active wrestlers

None

Notable past wrestlers

Mongolian Sakigake was the most senior wrestler at Shibatayama at the time of his retirement in 2022

Sakigake [ja] (best rank jūryō)
Wakanoshima [ja] (best rank jūryō)
Daishōchi (best rank Makushita)

Coach

Minezaki (consultant, former maegashira Misugiiso)

Assistant

Hananokuni (wakaimonogashira, former maegashira, real name Akihiro Noguchi)

Referee

Kimura Ginjirō (makuuchi gyōji, real name Noriyuki Itoi)
Kimura Kichijirō (jūryō gyōji, real name Masahiro Nishino)

Ushers

Katsuyuki (san'yaku yobidashi, real name Katsuyuki Koyama) - to be promoted to fuku-tate-yobidashi in January 2024^[3]
Keisukei (juryo yobidashi, real name Daisuke Nakano)

Hairdresser

Tokokado (1st class tokoyama)

Location and access

Tokyo, Suginami, Takaido 2-26-9
2 minute walk from Takaido Station on the Inokashira Line

References

^ ^a ^b Gunning, John (11 March 2020). "Former yokozuna Onokuni now acts as JSA's public face". Japan Times. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
^ ^a ^b "Sumo wrestler and stable master 'to pay damages over abuse'". Yahoo! News. 24 March 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
^ "次郎が立呼び出しに昇進　呼び出し最高位が約４年ぶりに復活、12月25日付" [Jiro promoted to tate-yobidashi, the highest yobidashi rank is restored after almost 4 years, on December 25.] (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 28 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.

External links

35°40′57″N 139°36′57″E / 35.6825°N 139.6158°E / 35.6825; 139.6158

[gunning0311-1] Gunning, John (11 March 2020). "Former yokozuna Onokuni now acts as JSA's public face". Japan Times. Retrieved 11 March 2020.

[abuse-2] "Sumo wrestler and stable master 'to pay damages over abuse'". Yahoo! News. 24 March 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2020.

[3] "次郎が立呼び出しに昇進　呼び出し最高位が約４年ぶりに復活、12月25日付" [Jiro promoted to tate-yobidashi, the highest yobidashi rank is restored after almost 4 years, on December 25.] (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 28 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.

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