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Nakamura Stable
was a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Takasago group of stables. It was established in its modern incarnation in May 1986 by Fujizakura of the Takasago stable. The stable's first ''sekitori'' was in November 1995. It did not produce any ''makuuchi'' wrestlers. As of December 2007 it had 14 sumo wrestlers. The stable had a policy of not recruiting foreigners or former collegiate competitors. Instead, the stablemaster only accepted new recruits out of middle school. However, he did allow his wrestlers to take high school correspondence courses over the internet. The former Fujizakura reached the mandatory retirement age of 65 early in 2013 and as there was no successor available, the stable closed in December 2012 with five of its remaining wrestlers, including former ''jūryō'' Hishofuji, transferring to Azumazeki stable, and the other two retiring. The stable's premises were subsequently used by the Musashigawa stable. Owner *1986-2013: 10th Nakamura (former ''sekiwake'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heya (sumo)
In sumo wrestling, a is an organization of sumo wrestlers where they train and live. It can also be termed ''sumo-beya''. All wrestlers in professional sumo must belong to one. There are currently 43 ''heya'' (as of 2022), each of which belongs to one of five ''Glossary of sumo terms#ichimon, ichimon'' (groupings of ''heya''). They vary in size, with the largest ''heya'' having over thirty wrestlers and smallest just one wrestler. 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. Most ''heya'' have a network of scouts, who may be former wrestlers themselves, friends of the head coach, or supporters of the ''heya'', who keep a look out for any powerful or athletic young men and follow the results of local sumo (and judo) competitions. Most new recruits join at the age of 15 or 16, straight from junior high school. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sumo
is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (''dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by throwing, shoving or pushing him down). Sumo originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally and where it is considered the national sport. It is considered a ''gendai budō'', which refers to modern Japanese martial arts, but the sport has a history spanning many centuries. Many ancient traditions have been preserved in sumo, and even today the sport includes many ritual elements, such as the use of salt purification, from Shinto. Life as a wrestler is highly regimented, with rules regulated by the Japan Sumo Association. Most sumo wrestlers are required to live in communal sumo training stables, known in Japanese as ''heya'', where all aspects of their daily lives—from meals to their manner of dress—are dic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fujizakura Yoshimori
Fujizakura Yoshimori (富士櫻栄守) (born 9 February 1948 as Hideo Nakasawa) is a former sumo wrestler from Kōfu, Yamanashi, Japan. His highest rank was ''sekiwake''. He wrestled for Takasago stable. He made his debut in 1963 and had one of the longest professional careers of any wrestler, fighting 1613 bouts in total, of which 1543 were consecutive. This latter record is second only to Aobajō. After his retirement in 1985 he was an elder of the Japan Sumo Association and the head coach of Nakamura stable. Career He was the eldest son of a farmer, and was enrolled in the judo club at junior high school. He made his professional debut in March 1963. He was given the ''shikona'' of Fujizakura, meaning "cherry of Fuji", a reference to the prefectural flower of Yamanashi, a small pale red and white flower that blooms only around Mount Fuji. He reached ''sekitori'' status in January 1970 and was promoted to the top ''makuuchi'' division in September 1971. He was a runner-up in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Takasago Stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Takasago group of stables. It is correctly written in Japanese as "髙砂部屋", but the first of these ''kanji'' is rare, and is more commonly written as "高砂部屋". History The stable was established by former ''maegashira'' Takasago Uragorō as in 1873 and joined the Tokyo Sumo Association in 1878. Takasago stable has produced many successful wrestlers, including six ''yokozuna'' and the first non-Japanese '' ōzeki'', American Konishiki, as well as the 33rd Kimura Shōnosuke, the '' tate-gyōji'' or chief referee. In February 2002, the stable merged with Wakamatsu stable, with Wakamatsu's coach, former '' ōzeki'' Asashio, taking over. Future ''yokozuna'' Asashōryū was among the wrestlers transferring over. The demotion of Asasekiryū to the ''makushita'' division for the January 2017 tournament saw the stable without any ''sekitori'' for the first time since 1878. However, at the end of that tournament Asanoyama earned p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sekitori
A ''sekitori'' (関取) is a ''rikishi'' (力士, sumo wrestler) who is ranked in one of the top two professional divisions: ''makuuchi'' and ''jūryō''. The name literally translates to having taken the barrier, as only a relatively small fraction of those who enter professional sumo achieve ''sekitori'' status. Currently there are 70 ''rikishi'' in these divisions. The benefits of being a ''sekitori'' compared to lower ranked wrestlers are significant and include: * to receive a salary and bonus (those in the lower divisions merely receive an allowance) * to have one's own supporters' club * to wear high quality men's kimono and other items of attire * to have a private room in the training stable * to be able to get married and live away from the training stable * to have junior ''rikishi'' to effectively act as their personal servants * to wear a silk ''mawashi'' with stiffened cords (called ''sagari'') in tournament bouts * to participate in the ring entrance ceremony and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Makuuchi
, or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers (''rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments. This is the only division that is featured on NHK's standard live coverage of sumo tournaments. The lower divisions are shown on their satellite coverage, with only the ''makuuchi'' broadcast having bilingual English commentary. ''Makuuchi'' literally means "inside the curtain", a reference to the early period of professional sumo, when there was a curtained-off area reserved for the top ranked wrestlers, to sit before appearing for their bouts. Wrestlers are considered for promotion or demotion in rank before each grand tournament according to their performance in the one previous. Generally, a greater number of wins than losses (''kachi-koshi'') results in a promotion, and the reverse (''make-koshi'') results in demotion. There are stricter criteria ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Japan Times
''The Japan Times'' is Japan's largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper. It is published by , a subsidiary of News2u Holdings, Inc.. It is headquartered in the in Kioicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo. History ''The Japan Times'' was launched by Motosada Zumoto on 22 March 1897, with the goal of giving Japanese people an opportunity to read and discuss news and current events in English to help Japan to participate in the international community. The newspaper was independent of government control, but from 1931 onward, the paper's editors experienced mounting pressure from the Japanese government to submit to its policies. In 1933, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs appointed Hitoshi Ashida, former ministry official, as chief editor. During World War II, the newspaper served as an outlet for Imperial Japanese government communication and editorial opinion. It was successively renamed ''The Japan Times and Mail'' (1918–1940) following its merger with ''The Japan Ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jūryō
Professional sumo as administered by the Japan Sumo Association is divided into six ranked divisions. Wrestlers are promoted and demoted within and between these divisions based on the merit of their win–loss records in official tournaments. For more information see ''kachi-koshi'' and ''make-koshi''. Wrestlers are also ranked within each division. The higher a wrestler's rank within a division is, the stronger the general level of opponents he will have to face becomes. According to tradition, each rank is further subdivided into East and West, with East being slightly more prestigious, and ranked slightly higher than its West counterpart. The divisions, ranked in order of hierarchy from highest to lowest, are as follows: ''Makuuchi'' , or , is the top division. It is fixed at 42 wrestlers who are ranked according to their performance in previous tournaments. At the top of the division are the "titleholders", or "champions" called the ''san'yaku'' comprising ''yokozuna'', ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hishofuji Hiroki
Hishofuji Hiroki (born July 14, 1989 as Hiroki Sumi) is a former sumo wrestler from Hyōgo-ku, Kobe, Japan. The highest rank he reached was Juryo 13, which he held for just a single basho. He wrestled for Nakamura stable until it closed down in December 2012, then transferring and finishing his career at Azumazeki stable. He retired in January 2017. He now lives in Los Angeles and participates in sumo exhibitions and amateur tournaments under the name Hiroki, often alongside Ulambayaryn Byambajav and Yamamotoyama. Career Hiroki was always a large boy and by the time he had graduated from Hyogo junior high school he was already 190 cm tall and weighed 120 kg. Hiroki was also a notable judoka at the prefectural level. This along with his exceeding size garnered him an invitation to join Nakamura stable. He made his debut in March 2005 and made steady progress up the banzuke. This continued until he reached Sandanme in March 2007 recording a mere three losing records on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Azumazeki Stable
was a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Takasago group of stables. It was founded in February 1986 by the Hawaiian born Takamiyama of the Takasago stable in Higashi–Komagata, Sumida, Tokyo. It was the first stable ever to be run by a foreign-born coach. Azumazeki's first ''sekitori'' was Akebono, also from Hawaii, in 1990, who subsequently reached the ''yokozuna'' rank. A total of nine foreign born wrestlers have fought for the stable: seven from the United States, one from Great Britain and one (Kosei) from China who retired in January 2017. The stable's first Japanese ''sekitori'' was Takamisakari. As of January 2021 it had seven wrestlers. The former Takamiyama reached the mandatory retirement age of 65 in June 2009 and was succeeded by Ushiomaru who announced his retirement from active competition after the May tournament. In 2012 it absorbed Nakamura stable when Takamiyama's former stablemate Fujizakura retired as a coach upon turning 65. In February 2018 the st ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Musashigawa Stable
The is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Dewanoumi ''ichimon'' or group of stables. It is an off-shoot of the better known stable of the same name set up by former ''yokozuna'' Mienoumi in 1981, which is currently known as Fujishima stable. Former ''yokozuna'' Musashimaru branched off from that stable in April 2013 after taking on the elder name of his former head coach and started a new stable using the Musashigawa name. It is located in the same building as the defunct Nakamura stable. Musashigawa stable is the second stable in sumo history to be founded by a foreign-born former sumo wrestler after Takamiyama's Azumazeki stable. The head coach's nephew, Fiamalu Penitani, was a wrestler at the stable under the ''shikona'' of Musashikuni, reaching the ''makushita'' division, but he retired in 2019 due to injury problems. The stable was also home to the half Japanese, half African-American wrestler Ichiro Young ( Wakaichiro). Musashigawa stable began with just four wrestle ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sekiwake
, or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers (''rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments. This is the only division that is featured on NHK's standard live coverage of sumo tournaments. The lower divisions are shown on their satellite coverage, with only the ''makuuchi'' broadcast having bilingual English commentary. ''Makuuchi'' literally means "inside the curtain", a reference to the early period of professional sumo, when there was a curtained-off area reserved for the top ranked wrestlers, to sit before appearing for their bouts. Wrestlers are considered for promotion or demotion in rank before each grand tournament according to their performance in the one previous. Generally, a greater number of wins than losses (''kachi-koshi'') results in a promotion, and the reverse (''make-koshi'') results in demotion. There are stricter criteria ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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