Izutsu stable

{{Short description|Defunct sumo stable}} {{refimprove|date=May 2018}} thumb|right|280px|Front of Izutsu stable (2014)

{{Nihongo|'''Izutsu stable'''|井筒部屋|Izutsu beya|lead=yes}} was a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tokitsukaze group of stables. Its last incarnation was in existence from 1972 until 2019.

The stable was established in the Meiji era by former ''yokozuna'' Nishinoumi Kajirō I, the 16th ''yokozuna'', who became the 7th Izutsu-''oyakata''. He was succeeded by Nishinoumi Kajirō II, the 25th ''yokozuna'' who ran the stable from 1909 until his death in 1931. The latest incarnation of Izutsu stable was in the hands of the same family, having been founded as Kimigahama stable by his grandson-in-law Tsurugamine Akio in 1972 and subsequently renamed Izutsu stable in 1977, after Tsurugamine obtained the stock from former ''yokozuna'' Kitanofuji (who would become the head of Kokonoe stable). Tsurugamine Akio had previously attempted to obtain the Izutsu stock from the widow of his old stablemaster, the former ''maegashira'' Tsurugamine Michiyoshi, who had run a different version of the stable from 1947 until his death in March 1972, but had been unable to come to an agreement with her. All three of Tsurugamine's sons, {{Interlanguage link multi|Kakureizan Hōchi|ja|3=鶴嶺山宝一|lt=Kakureizan}}, Sakahoko and Terao, were members of the stable, with Sakahoko and Terao emulating their father by reaching the ''sekiwake'' rank. Sakahoko took over the stable from his father in 1994. Sakahoko's nephew, Fukuzono Yoichiro, was a wrestler at the stable from 1988 until 2007, reaching a highest rank of ''jūryō'' 9. The stable declined from around 20 wrestlers when Sakahoko inherited it to just three as of 2019, of whom the sole ''sekitori'' was Kakuryū, who reached the ''yokozuna'' rank in March 2014. Sakahoko commented in 2008 that it was difficult to attract new recruits as "there are many heyas nowadays" but that as he was the only coach in the stable, a relatively small number meant he could give each wrestler close attention.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sumo-webpaper.de/Interviews/Izutsu/Izutsu%20Oyakata.htm|title=Interview with Izutsu Oyakata|last=Hotta|first=Harumi|author2=Linau, Martina|date=May 2008|publisher=Sumo Webpaper|accessdate=28 September 2017|archive-date=4 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211204043013/http://www.sumo-webpaper.de/Interviews/Izutsu/Izutsu%20Oyakata.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Sakahoko died at the age of 58 in September 2019. The stable's wrestlers and ''tokoyama'' were temporarily under the care of Kagamiyama, a director of the Japan Sumo Association and fellow member of the Tokitsukaze group,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/201909170000283.html|title=鶴竜ら井筒親方死去で鏡山親方の一時預かりに|date=17 September 2019|publisher=Nikkan Sports|language=Japanese|accessdate=18 September 2019}}</ref> but moved to Michinoku stable, which is run by the former stablemate of Sakahoko, former ''ōzeki'' Kirishima,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/201909270000827.html|title=鶴竜ら力士３人、床山１人の陸奥部屋への転属を承認|date=27 September 2019|work=Nikkan Sports|language=Japanese|accessdate=27 September 2019}}</ref> and originally branched off from Izutsu in 1974. Demolition of the building that housed Izutsu stable began on 4 November 2020.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2020/11/04/sumo/sumo-stables/|title=Sumo stables housed in older structures becoming rare sight|date=4 November 2020|newspaper=The Japan Times|accessdate=4 November 2020}}</ref> The Izutsu elder name was used from 2020 to 2023 by the former Toyonoshima of the affiliated Tokitsukaze stable.

==Ring name conventions== Most wrestlers at this stable took ring names or ''shikona'' that begin with the character 鶴 (two alternative readings: ''tsuru'' and ''kaku''), meaning crane, in deference to the former owner, who was active as Tsurugamine.

==Owners== *1994–2019: 14th Izutsu (''fuku-riji'', former ''sekiwake'' Sakahoko) *1977–1994: 13th Izutsu (former ''sekiwake'' Tsurugamine Akio) *1974–1977: 12th Izutsu (former ''yokozuna'' Kitanofuji) *1972–1974: 11th Izutsu (former ''maegashira'' Hoshikabuto Yoshio) *1947–1972: 10th Izutsu (former ''maegashira'' Tsurugamine Michiyoshi) *1931–1944: 9th Izutsu (former ''maegashira'' Hoshikabuto Saneyoshi) *1909–1931: 8th Izutsu (former ''yokozuna'' Nishinoumi Kajirō II)

==Notable former members== *Nishinoumi Kajirō II (the 25th ''yokozuna'') *Nishinoumi Kajirō III (the 30th ''yokozuna'') *Kakuryū Rikisaburō (the 71st ''yokozuna'') *Toyokuni Fukuma (former ''ōzeki'') *Kirishima Kazuhiro (former ''ōzeki'') *Komagatake Kuniriki (former ''ōzeki'') *Terao Tsunefumi (former ''sekiwake'') * 36th Kimura Shōnosuke (given name Toshihiro Yamazaki - former chief referee)

==Hairdresser== *Tokotsuru (1st class ''tokoyama'')

==Location and access== Tokyo, Sumida Ward, Ryōgoku 2-2-7<br> 8 minute walk from west exit of Ryōgoku Station on the Sōbu Line

==References== {{Reflist}}

== External links == *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070206153123/http://homepage3.nifty.com/izutsurm/ Official site] {{in lang|ja}} *[http://www.sumo.or.jp/EnSumoDataSumoBeya/detail?id=19 Japan Sumo Association profile]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Izutsu Stable}} Category:Defunct sumo stables Category:Sports clubs and teams established in 1909 Category:1909 establishments in Japan Category:Sports clubs and teams disestablished in 2019 Category:2019 disestablishments in Japan