is a

stable A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals and livestock. There are many different types of stables in use today; the ...

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 thr ...

wrestlers, part of the Dewanoumi ''

ichimon The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan. A B C D E F G H ...

'' or group of stables. It was set up in 1985 as Kitanoumi stable by former ''

yokozuna , 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 on ...

Kitanoumi , born , was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He was the dominant wrestler in the sport during the 1970s. Kitanoumi was promoted to ''yokozuna'' at the age of 21, becoming the youngest ever to achieve sumo's top rank. He won 24 tournament ...

, who branched off from

Mihogaseki stable The was a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Dewanoumi ichimon or group of stables. Its last head coach, former '' ōzeki'' Masuiyama Daishirō II who took charge in November 1984, was the son of the previous head, also an ''ōzeki'' under ...

. It absorbed

Hatachiyama stable is a former Japanese sumo wrestler from Yamagata, Iwate. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 1995, reaching the top ''makuuchi'' division in 2000. His highest rank was ''komusubi''. He retired in 2008 and is now a sumo coach. Ca ...

in 2006, following the death of its head coach, former '' ōzeki'' Hokuten'yū. In May 2010 it also absorbed

Kise stable , also known as Kimura Sehei stable, was a heya (sumo), heya or stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tatsunami ''ichimon'' or affiliated group of stables. History The original Kise stable (which had no connection to the current incarnation found ...

, which was forced to close after its stablemaster, former ''

maegashira , 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 on ...

Higonoumi Higonoumi Naoya (born 23 September 1969 as Naoto Sakamoto) is a former sumo wrestler from Kumamoto, Japan. After his retirement he opened up Kise stable. Career A former amateur champion at Nihon University, he turned professional in 1992, joini ...

, was implicated in the selling of tournament tickets to

yakuza , also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media, by request of the police, call them , while the ''yakuza'' call themselves . The English equivalent for the term ...

members. As a result of this move the stable had 46 wrestlers, making it by some margin the largest stable in sumo at this time. It was the first stable to have over 40 wrestlers since

Futagoyama stable was a stable of sumo wrestlers, created in 2004 when Takanohana Kōji took over the running of Futagoyama stable from his father Takanohana Kenshi. Formerly of the Nishonoseki ''ichimon'' or group of stables, it became the leader of a breakawa ...

in 1998, and had difficulty in finding room for so many. As a result, Kise was allowed to reestablish the stable in April 2012, and all former members of Kise stable, as well as newcomers Jōkōryū and Sasanoyama who had been recruited by Kise-''oyakata'', joined the reconstituted stable again. Stablemaster Kitanoumi died of

colorectal cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel m ...

and multiple organ failure on the evening of November 20, 2015. Former ''maegashira'' Ganyū, who had been serving as a coach at the stable, inherited it. The stable was renamed Yamahibiki, the elder name used by Ganyū, since the Kitanoumi name could not be inherited, due to it being a one-generation elder stock or '' ichidai-toshiyori''. As of January 2022, Yamahibiki stable had 15 wrestlers. Following the demotion of

Kitataiki Kitataiki Akeyoshi (北太樹明義, born 5 October 1982) is a former professional 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 ...

after July 2017 tournament and Kitaharima after September 2017 tournament, it had no ''

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 fract ...

'' for the first time since May 2003.

Ring name conventions

A few wrestlers at this stable take ring names or ''

shikona A is a sumo wrestler's ring name. The tradition of ring names in sumo dates back to the Edo period, where they were used as a means to attract customers and hide the identities of the ''rikishi''. Like standard Japanese names, a ''shikona'' co ...

'' that begin with the character 北 (read: kita or hoku), meaning north, in deference to the stable's former owner, Kitanoumi. Some examples are Kitaharima, Kitataiki and Hokuseikai.

Owner

*2015–present: Yamahibiki Kenji (''

riji Riji are the pearl shells traditionally worn by Aboriginal men in the north-west part of Australia, around present day Broome. The word ''riji'' is from the Bardi language. Another word for it is ''jakuli''. Rijis are worn as pubic coverin ...

'', former ''maegashira'' Ganyū) *1985-2015:

('' rijichō'', the 55th ''yokozuna'')

Coaches

*Onogawa Akeyoshi (''toshiyori'', former ''maegashira''

)

Notable active wrestlers

* Kitaharima (best rank ''

'') * (best rank ''maegashira'')

Notable former members

* Hakurozan (former ''

'') *

Kitazakura , born December 15, 1971 as is a former sumo wrestler from Asakita ward, Hiroshima City, Japan. His highest rank was ''maegashira'' 9. He is the elder brother of Toyozakura, also a top division wrestler. He was a popular figure with sumo fans. H ...

(former ''maegashira'') *

Kiyoseumi Kiyoseumi Takayuki (born Takayuki Ichihara, 16 August 1984) is a former sumo wrestler from Nagoya, Japan. An extremely successful amateur, his highest rank in the professional sport was ''maegashira'' 13. He was forced to retire in April 2011 af ...

(former ''maegashira'') *

(former ''maegashira'') * Ōrora (former ''

makushita 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 ...

'')

Referees

*Kimura Kankurō (''

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 ...

'' ''

gyōji A ''gyōji'' () is a referee in professional sumo wrestling in Japan. ''Gyōji'' usually enter the sumo world as teenagers and remain employees of the Sumo Association until they retire aged 65. There are currently a little over 40 active ''gy� ...

'', real name Yoshimi Nakamura)

Ushers

*Tasuke (''

'' ''

yobidashi A is an announcer who calls a professional sumo wrestler, or ''rikishi'', to the ''dohyō'' (wrestling ring) immediately prior to his bout. He does this by calling the name of each wrestler fighting in turn while holding a traditional folding fa ...

'', real name Taisuke Kominami) *Sōichi (''

'' ''yobidashi'', real name Sōichi Takahashi) *Hiromasa (''

jonokuchi 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 ...

'' ''yobidashi'', real name Hiromasa Nakamura)

Hairdresser

*Tokoasa (1st class ''

tokoyama A is a hairdresser employed by the Japan Sumo Association to cut and prepare sumo wrestlers' hair, which is done in the style. The Sumo Association ranks them according to experience and ability and only the most senior are entitled to prepar ...

'')

Location and access

Tokyo, Kōtō ward, Kiyosumi 2-10-11
3 minute walk from Kiyosumi-shirakawa Station on the Hanzōmon Line and Ōedo Line

References

External links

Japan Sumo Association profile of Yamahibiki beyaHome Page
{{coord, 35.6825, N, 139.7951, E, source:wikidata, display=title Active sumo stables