The following is an alphabetical list of '' heya'' or training stables in 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 into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by t ...

. 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 , 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 o ...

'' division or 25 in the titled '' san'yaku'' ranks). Discounting the special circumstances of the temporary closure of Kise stable from 2010 until 2012, there were no new stables established for more than six years, while eleven folded, bringing the number of active stables down to 43. This sequence was ended by the opening of former ''yokozuna'' Musashimaru's Musashigawa stable in April 2013. Since this time the opening and closing of stables has stabilized and the number of stables has remained in the mid 40s.

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 44 stables as of December 2022. :

Mergers and closures (1994 to present)

* 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 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 ...

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 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 ' ...

closes December 2012, wrestlers move to Azumazeki * Hanakago stable closes May 2012, wrestlers move to Minezaki *

Ōshima stable was a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tatsunami '' ichimon'' or group of stables. It was set up in 1980 by former '' ōzeki'' Asahikuni, who branched off from Tatsunami stable. The head of Tatsunami stable opposed the setting up of the ne ...

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 Isegahama stable was a heya or stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tatsunami-Isegahama ''ichimon,'' or group of stables. It was founded in 1859 by former '' komusubi'' Arakuma. It was led from 1929 by former ''sekiwake'' Kiyosegawa. His da ...

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 Minato (港 or 湊) is Japanese for 'harbor', and may refer to: Places * Minato, Tokyo or Minato City, a special ward in Tokyo, Japan * Minato-ku, Nagoya, a ward of Nagoya, Japan * Minato-ku, Osaka, a ward of Osaka, Japan * Minato (湊), a neig ...

*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 Tamaasuka Daisuke (born January 26, 1983 as Daisuke Takahashi) is a former sumo wrestler from Atsuta-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. He made his professional debut in March 1998. His highest rank was ''maegashira'' 9. He was well known for m ...

closes April 1996, wrestlers move to Tatsunami * Ōnaruto stable closes December 1994, wrestlers move to Kiriyama

Name changes (2003 to present)

*Tomozuna stable is renamed

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

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.

References

{{Reflist

External links