Kokonoe stable

{{Short description|Organization of sumo wrestlers}} thumb|right|280px thumb|right|280px {{Nihongo|'''Kokonoe stable'''|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 until 2021 was located in Ishiwara, Sumida, Tokyo. As of January 2023 it had 26 sumo wrestlers, four of whom are of ''sekitori'' rank. It is the most successful stable in terms of total ''yūshō'' won by its wrestlers, with 52.<ref name="chiyotaikai">{{cite web|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2016/08/03/sumo/chiyotaikai-succeeds-chiyonofuji-as-stablemaster/#.V6Hrv032Yy8|title=Chiyotaikai succeeds Chiyonofuji as stablemaster|date=3 August 2016|publisher=Japan Times|access-date=3 August 2016}}</ref>

==History== Former ''yokozuna'' Chiyonoyama of Dewanoumi stable had wanted to succeed to the Dewanoumi name, but the then Dewanoumi stablemaster (former wrestler Dewanohana) had already decided to pass the name to former ''yokozuna'' Sadanoyama. Accordingly, in January 1967, he set up his own stable, taking with him, amongst others, then ''ōzeki'' Kitanofuji 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'', merging his stable with Kokonoe's and giving up the Izutzu elder name. He raised Chiyonofuji, 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, Kitanofuji handed over the stable to him. Chiyonofuji and Kitanofuji swapped names, Chiyonofuji becoming Kokonoe-''oyakata'' and gaining control of the stable, whilst Kitanofuji became Jinmaku-''oyakata'', attached to Hakkaku stable, set up by the former Hokutoumi in 1993. In the early 1990s Kokonoe stable was one of the largest in sumo but had only one ''sekitori'', Tomoefuji. Kokonoe eventually produced Chiyotenzan, briefly a ''komusubi'' in 1999, and long serving ''ōzeki'' Chiyotaikai (1999–2009), his most successful wrestler. Following the retirements of Chiyotaikai in January 2010 and Chiyohakuhō in April 2011, the stable had no ''sekitori'' for a short time, but Chiyonokuni reached ''jūryō'' in July 2011 and the top division in January 2012. Chiyotairyū followed afterwards and reached ''makuuchi'' in May 2012. By March 2014, Kokonoe stable was one of the most successful stables in sumo, with three men (Chiyotairyū, Chiyoōtori and Chiyomaru) in the top division and two (Chiyonokuni and {{Interlanguage link multi|Chiyonoō Miyohito|ja|3=千代皇王代仁|lt=Chiyonoō}}) in ''jūryō''. In January 2016 the stable moved up to six ''sekitori'' with the promotion of Chiyoshōma, the most of any stable. As of September 2020 it remains at six, now level with Kise and one behind new leader Oitekaze.

Chiyonofuji died in July 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20160801/p2g/00m/0sp/070000c|title=Sumo: Wrestlers pay tribute following Chiyonofuji's early death|date=1 August 2016|publisher=The Mainichi|access-date=2 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807092124/http://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20160801/p2g/00m/0sp/070000c|archive-date=7 August 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> Sanoyama-''oyakata'' (the former Chiyotaikai) succeeded him as the Kokonoe stablemaster.<ref name="chiyotaikai"/>

In February 2021 Kokonoe stable moved to new premises in Okudo, Katsushika ward. The previous space in Sumida was converted into a restaurant, ''Chanko Chiyonofuji'', named after the late grand champion. The restaurant opened in February 2023 and overlooks the ''dohyō'' training space formerly used by the stable.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chanko Chiyonofuji |url=https://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1312/A131201/13279863/ |website=Tabelog |access-date=3 March 2025}}</ref> Various trophies won by Chiyonofuji over the years are also displayed.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/202302200001188.html|title=千代の富士の旧九重部屋、ちゃんこ屋に生まれ変わりオープン本物の土俵にウルフの忘れ形見も|date=20 February 2023|publisher=Nikkan Sports|access-date= 21 February 2023|language=ja}}</ref>

On 7 February 2023, Kokonoe stable, along with Ōshima stable and Futagoyama stable, signed a partnership and cooperation agreement with the Katsushika Ward of Tokyo. The agreement was presented as having the objective of cooperating further in a wide range of areas, including tourism, culture, sports, and educational promotion, and work closely to revitalize local communities.<ref>{{cite web|title=九重、二子山、大島の相撲部屋３部屋が葛飾区と連携・協力協定地元に「一生懸命恩返し」|work=Nikkan Sports|url=https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/202302070000757.html|date=7 February 2023|accessdate=26 February 2023}}</ref>

In October 2023 it was announced that an underage ''makushita'' division wrestler was found to have been drinking during the autumn regional tour. The wrestler in question had arrived to the tour venue in Ōbu, Aichi on the morning of 15 October and was then transported to a hospital for acute alcohol poisoning. Kokonoe ''oyakata'' and the other wrestlers involved were expelled from the tour and returned to their stable in Tokyo. On 24 October it was announced that Kokonoe had been suspended for an undetermined amount of time, along with the underage wrestler. A second wrestler was suspended the following day.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/202310240000864.html|title=【大相撲】秋巡業中に九重部屋の未成年力士が飲酒し救急車で搬送九重親方と力士に謹慎処分|date=24 October 2023|publisher=Nikkan Sports|access-date=24 October 2023|lang=ja}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2023/10/25/kiji/20231025s00005000439000c.html|title=九重部屋力士の未成年飲酒問題同席した幕下以下の成人力士1人も謹慎処分|date=25 October 2023|publisher=Sports Nippon|access-date=25 October 2023|lang=ja}}</ref> On 26 October ''Nikkan Sports'', quoting a source, reported that Kononoe berated the wrestler that was caught drinking, both in the hospital and during a Sumo Association inquiry. The source added that Kokonoe had punished the wrestler during sumo workouts and had banned him from going out for one year. A few days before the suspensions were announced, the wrestler was said to have run away from Kokonoe stable to return to his parents and had his top knot cut off at a barber shop.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/202310250001383.html|title=飲酒した20歳未満力士、九重親方の言葉にショックを受けてマゲを切った|date=26 October 2023|publisher=Nikkan Sports|access-date=26 October 2023|lang=ja}}</ref>

==Ring name conventions== Traditionally many wrestlers at this stable, often on reaching the ''sandanme'' division, take ring names or ''shikona'' that begin with the characters 千代 (read: chiyo), meaning "a thousand generations", in deference to the founder, Chiyonoyama and also his later successor Chiyonofuji. As of March 2018, all wrestlers at the stable, including those in the bottom two divisions, have this prefix.

==Owners== *2016–present: 14th Kokonoe (''iin'', former ''ōzeki'' Chiyotaikai Ryūji) *1992–2016: 13th Kokonoe (former Chiyonofuji Mitsugu, the 58th ''yokozuna'') *1977–1992: 12th Kokonoe (former Kitanofuji Katsuaki, the 52nd ''yokozuna'') *1967–1977: 11th Kokonoe (former Chiyonoyama Masanobu, the 41st ''yokozuna'')

==Notable active wrestlers== {{See also|sekitori}} *Chiyoshōma (best rank ''maegashira'') *{{Interlanguage link multi|Chiyono-ō Miyohito|ja|3=千代皇王代仁|lt=Chiyono-ō}} (best rank ''maegashira'')

==Coach== *Tanigawa Hideki (''shunin'', former ''sekiwake'' Hokutōriki) *Nishikijima Yūki (''toshiyori'', former ''komusubi'' Chiyoōtori) *Sanoyama Toshiki (''toshiyori'', former ''maegashira'' Chiyonokuni)

==Notable former members== *Kitanofuji (the 52nd ''yokozuna'') *Chiyonofuji (the 58th ''yokozuna'') *Hokutoumi (the 61st ''yokozuna'') *Chiyotaikai (former {{translit|ja|ōzeki}}) *Kitaseumi (former {{translit|ja|sekiwake}}) *Chiyotairyū (former {{translit|ja|komusubi}}) *Chiyotenzan (former {{translit|ja|komusubi}}) *Takanofuji (former {{translit|ja|komusubi}}) *Tomoefuji (former {{translit|ja|komusubi}}) *Chiyomaru (best rank ''maegashira'') *Chiyonoumi (best rank {{translit|ja|jūryō}}) *{{interlanguage link multi|Chiyosakae Eita|ja|3=千代栄栄太|lt=Chiyosakae}} (best rank {{translit|ja|jūryō}})

==Referees== *39th Kimura Shōnosuke ({{transliteration|ja|tate-gyōji}}, real name Yūji Horasawa) *Kimura Kōnosuke (''san'yaku'' ''gyōji'', real name Toshiaki Kojima) *Kimura Ryunosuke (''jonidan'' ''gyōji'', real name Haruto Kajita)

==Ushers== *Shigeo (''san'yaku'' ''yobidashi'', real name Takumi Taniguchi) *Shigetarō (''jūryō'' ''yobidashi'', real name Katsunori Hattori) *Shigejiro (''sandanme'' ''yobidashi'', real name Keisuke Miyagi)

==Hairdressers== *Tokotake (1st class ''tokoyama'') *Tokokyū (2nd class ''tokoyama'')

==Assistant== *Chiyomaru ({{translit|ja|wakaimonogashira}}, former {{translit|ja|maegashira}}, real name Kazuki Kinoshita, born 1991)

==Location and access== 1-21-14 Okudo, Katsushika ward, Tokyo<br> 20-minute walk from Shin-Koiwa Station (Sōbu Line Local and Rapid)

==References== {{Reflist}}

== External links == {{Commons category|Kokonoe stable}} *[https://www.kokonoe-beya.com/en/ Official site] *[http://www.sumo.or.jp/EnSumoDataSumoBeya/detail?id=21 Japan Sumo Association profile] *[http://www.sumofanmag.com/content/Issue_7/Heya_Peek.htm Article on Kokonoe stable]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kokonoe Stable}} Category:Active sumo stables Category:Sports clubs and teams established in 1967 Category:1967 establishments in Japan Category:Kokonoe stable sumo wrestlers