The 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 Tokitsukaze '' ichimon'' or group of stables. It was established in 1974 by former '' maegashira'' Hoshikabuto, who branched off from Izutsu stable. Former '' ōzeki'' Kirishima became the current head coach in December 1997. It absorbed Tatsutagawa stable in November 2000 upon the retirement of the stablemaster there. It lost four top members in April 2011 ( Hakuba,

Toyozakura Toyozakura Toshiaki (born March 12, 1974 as Toshiaki Mukō) is a former sumo wrestler from Hiroshima, Japan. He made his debut in 1989, and after many years in the lower ranks he reached the top division for the first time in 2003. His highest ran ...

, Jūmonji and Kirinowaka), who were forced to retire after being found guilty of match-fixing. The retirement of Ryūhō in 2012 left it with no '' sekitori'' until Kiribayama reached the ''

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 ...

'' division in 2019. Kiribayama reached the top '' makuuchi'' division in January 2020, the first for the stable since Hakuba in 2008. After the death of Izutsu-''oyakata'' in September 2019, all personnel from Izutsu stable moved to Michinoku on 1 October 2019. This expanded the stable to 15 wrestlers, the most senior of whom was '' yokozuna'' Kakuryū, who retired in March 2021. As of January 2023, it had 12 wrestlers.

Ring name conventions

In the past wrestlers at this stable took ring names or '' shikona'' that began with the character 星 (read: hoshi), meaning star, in deference to two of their former owners, but many now use 霧 (read: kiri), meaning fog or mist, after the current owner Kirishima, such as Kiribayama, Kirinoryū and Kirinofuji.

Owners

*1997–present: 9th Michinoku Kazuhiro ('' yakuin taigu iin'', former ''ōzeki'' Kirishima) *1991-1997: 8th Michinoku Yuji (former ''maegashira'' Hoshiiwato) *1974-1991: 7th Michinoku Yoshio (former ''maegashira'' Hoshikabuto)

Notable active wrestlers

* Kiribayama (best rank '' komusubi'')

Coaches

*Kakuryū Rikisaburō ('' iin taigu toshiyori'', the 71st ''yokozuna'' Kakuryū) *Tatsutayama Hironori ('' iin'', former maegashira Sasshūnada) *Urakaze Tomimichi ('' iin'', former maegashira Shikishima)

Assistant

* Fukunosato ('' wakaimonogashira'', former ''

'', real name Kunio Fukuda)

Notable former members

* Kakuryū ( the 71st ''yokozuna'') *

Hoshitango is an Argentine-born Japanese former professional sumo wrestler and current professional wrestler. His highest rank was ''jūryō'' 3. Life and career A former swimming instructor, Salomon was spotted by a visiting Japanese coach at a gym in Bue ...

(former ''

'') * Ryūhō (former ''maegashira'')

Usher

*Shin ('' jonidan'' '' yobidashi'', real name Shinnosuke Yamaki)

Hairdresser

*Tokotsuru (Special class '' tokoyama'') *Tokodai (First class ''tokoyama'')

Location and access

Tokyo, Sumida Ward, Ryōgoku 1-18-7
1 minute walk from

Ryōgoku Station is a railway station in Yokoami, Sumida, Tokyo, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation (Toei). Lines The station is served by the JR East Chūō-Sōbu Line and the Toei Oedo Line ...

on Sōbu Line

References

External links

Official site

Japan Sumo Association profile
{{coord, 35.6957, N, 139.7913, E, source:wikidata, display=title Active sumo stables