Kokonoe stable

Kokonoe stable (Japanese: 九重部屋, "Kokonoe-beya") is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Takasago group of stables. It was formed in 1967 and is located in Ishiwara, Sumida, Tokyo. As of April 2008 it had 16 sumo wrestlers.

History

Former yokozuna Chiyonoyama Masanobu of Dewanoumi stable had wanted to succeed to the Dewanoumi name, but the then Dewanoumi-oyakata (former wrestler Dewanohana) had already decided to pass the name to former yokozuna Sadanoyama Shinmatsu. Accordingly, in January 1967, he set up his own stable, taking with him, amongst others, then ōzeki Kitanofuji Katsuaki and attaching the new stable to the Takasago group of stables.

After Chiyonoyama died in 1977, Kitanofuji, who had already revived Izutsu stable, became the 11th Kokonoe-oyakata. He raised Chiyonofuji Mitsugu, then a makuuchi wrestler, to the great yokozuna he became. Later he also saw Hokutoumi become a yokozuna. Takanofuji and Fujinoshin also reached the top division.

In 1992, the year after Chiyonofuji retired from the ring, Kitonofuji handed over the stable to him. In 1993 Hokutoumi retired, setting up Hakkaku stable. Chiyonofuji and Kitanofuji swapped names, Chiyonofuji becoming Kokonoe-oyakata and gaining control of the stable, whilst Kitanofuji became Jinmaku-oyakata, attached to Hakkaku stable. In the early 1990s the stable was one of the largest in sumo but had only one sekitori, Tomoefuji. Kokonoe eventually produced Chiyotenzan, briefly a komusubi, and long serving ozeki Chiyotaikai.

Kokonoe-oyakata

*11th: Kokonoe Masanobu (former yokozuna Chiyonoyama Masanobu)
*12th: Kokonoe Katsuaki (former yokozuna Kitanofuji Katsuaki)
*13th: Kokonoe Mitsugu (former yokozuna Chiyonofuji Mitsugu)

Active wrestlers with makuuchi experience

*Chiyotaikai Ryūji (ōzeki)
*Chiyohakuho Daiki (maegashira)

Former wrestlers

*Chiyotenzan
*Takanofuji

Toshiyori

*Sanoyama Jun (former komusubi Toki)

See also

*Kokonoe-oyakata
*List of sumo beya

External links

* [http://www.kokonoe-beya.com/top.html Official site] ja
*Kokonoe stable page at Japan Sumo Association ( [http://sumo.goo.ne.jp/eng/ozumo_meikan/sumo_beya/kokonoe.html English] ) ( [http://sumo.goo.ne.jp/ozumo_meikan/sumo_beya/kokonoe.html Japanese] )
* [http://www.sumofanmag.com/content/Issue_7/Heya_Peek.htm Article on Kokonoe stable]