Minatogawa stable

{{Short description|Japanese stable of sumo wrestlers}} {{Nihongo|'''Minatogawa stable'''|湊川部屋|Minatogawa-beya}} is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Nishonoseki {{translit|ja|ichimon}} or group of stables. The stable was opened in 2004 as {{Nihongo|'''Chiganoura stable'''|千賀ノ浦部屋|Chiganoura-beya}}. It became {{Nihongo|'''Tokiwayama stable'''|常盤山部屋|Tokiwayama-beya}} in 2020, before changing to its current name when former {{translit|ja|ōzeki}} Takakeishō took over as the stablemaster in January 2026.<ref name=ns_minatogawastable>{{cite web|url=https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/202511270000912.html|title=元大関貴景勝の湊川親方が常盤山部屋を継承し、来年初場所後に湊川部屋へ相撲協会が承認|date=27 November 2025|publisher=Nikkan Sports|access-date=27 November 2025|language=ja}}</ref>

==History== [[File:Tokiwayama_stable_2021.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The former Tokiwayama stable in Itabashi ward]] The stable was founded as '''Chiganoura stable''' in September 2004 by former ''sekiwake'' Masudayama, who branched off from Kasugano stable of the Dewanoumi ''ichimon'' at the unusually late age of 53, after he lost out to Tochinowaka in his bid to take over Kasugano stable.<ref name="sumofan">{{cite web|url=http://www.sumofanmag.com/content/Issue_2/Heya_Peek.htm|title=Heya Peek:Chiganoura Beya|last=Gunning|first=John|date=August 2005|publisher=Sumo Fan Magazine|accessdate=24 October 2017}}</ref> He took four wrestlers with him from Kasugano stable, the last of whom, Burinosato, retired in March 2019. In April 2016 the former Takamisugi took over the running of the stable when Masudayama reached the mandatory retirement age of 65, and aligned the stable with the Takanohana ''ichimon'', leaving the Dewanoumi ''ichimon''. The former Chiganoura changed to Tokiwayama and was re-employed by the stable as a consultant for five years. In June 2018 the Takanohana ''ichimon'' dissolved and Chiganoura joined the Ōnomatsu group, with Masudayama choosing to be unaffiliated. In September, the stable joined the Nishonoseki group and on 1 October Chiganoura adopted the wrestlers and staff from the defunct Takanohana stable following the resignation of Takanohana from the Japan Sumo Association.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-sg/news/other/sumo-jsa-approves-takanohanas-retirement-transfer-of-stable/ar-BBNMiRV|title=SUMO/ JSA approves Takanohana's retirement, transfer of stable|date=1 October 2018|publisher=Asahi Shimbun|accessdate=3 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003181749/https://www.msn.com/en-sg/news/other/sumo-jsa-approves-takanohanas-retirement-transfer-of-stable/ar-BBNMiRV|archive-date=3 October 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> In November Takakeishō won the top division championship in his first tournament for his new stable, and in March 2019 he was promoted to ''ōzeki''.<ref name="takakeisho"/> In November 2020, as Masudayama's retirement approached, as part of a previous agreement, former Takamisugi and former Masudayama swapped back their elder names, and former Takamisugi changed the name of the stable to his original elder name, Tokiwayama.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/chiganoura_beya/status/1332089613213581313|title=2020 Nov 27 tweet from head of heya}}</ref>

Until 2021 it was located in Taitō nearby the Sensō-ji temple,<ref name="takakeisho">{{cite web|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2019/04/03/sumo/new-ozeki-takakeisho-can-draw-strength-stable/#.XKTgYuSWymR|title=New ozeki Takakeisho can draw strength from stable|last=Gunning|first=John|author-link=John Gunning (journalist)|work=The Japan Times|publisher=3 April 2019|accessdate=3 April 2019}}</ref> and operated out of the same building as the old Takasago stable, before it merged with the Wakamatsu stable.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sumofanmag.com/content/Issue_2/Heya_Peek.htm|title=Heya Peek: Chiganoura stable|last=Gunning|first=John|date=August 2005|work=Sumo Fan Magazine|accessdate=9 September 2020}}</ref> In February 2021 the stable moved to new premises in Maeno-chō, Itabashi ward, with the old premises taken over by Tatsunami stable.

It was home to the only Hungarian in professional sumo, {{ill|Masutōō Akira|lt=Masutōō|ja|舛東欧旭}}, who was on the podium at the 2004 Junior Sumo World Championships alongside Tochinoshin, Gōeidō and Kaisei but did not progress beyond the ''makushita'' division in professional sumo.<ref name="takakeisho"/>

In November 2025 the Sumo Association approved the transfer of Tokiwayama stable to the former Takakeishō ahead of Takamisugi's 65th birthday, which is the mandatory retirement age in professional sumo. On 26 January 2026, the stable name changed to Minatogawa stable. Most of Tokiwayama stable's support personnel were set to transfer to other stables.<ref name=ns_minatogawastable/>

==Ring name conventions== Many wrestlers at this stable take ring names or ''shikona'' that begin with the character 舛 (read: masu), in deference to their former coach and the stable's founder, the former Masudayama. Examples include Masunoshō, Masutoo and Masutenryū. However, when Masunoshō was promoted to the ''jūryō'' division after the September 2017 tournament his ''shikona'' was changed to Takanoshō, after the new head coach Takamisugi.

==Owner== *2026–present: Minatogawa Takanobu ({{translit|ja|iin taigu toshiyori}}, former {{translit|ja|ōzeki}} Takakeishō) *2016–2026: 15th and 17th Tokiwayama Takakatsu (''iin'', former ''komusubi'' Takamisugi) *2004–2016: 19th Chiganoura Yasuhito (''riji'', former ''sekiwake'' Masudayama)

==Notable active wrestlers== {{See also|sekitori}} *Takanoshō (best rank {{translit|ja|sekiwake}}) *{{interlanguage link multi|Wakanoshō Eidō|ja|3=若ノ勝栄道|lt=Wakanoshō}} (best rank {{translit|ja|maegashira}}) *Takakento (best rank {{translit|ja|juryō}})

==Coach== *Tokiwayama Taichi (''iin'', former ''komusubi'' Takamisugi)

==Notable former wrestlers== *Takakeishō (best rank ''ōzeki'') *Takanoiwa (best rank ''maegashira'') *Takanofuji (best rank ''jūryō'') *Takagenji (best rank ''maegashira'') *Masunoyama (best rank ''maegashira'')

==Assistant== *{{ill|Ranbō Shōsuke|lt=Ranbō|ja|嵐望将輔}} (({{translit|ja|sewanin}}, former {{translit|ja|makushita}}, real name Takao Inoue, born 1972)

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

==Location and access== 2-1-18 Tatekawa, Sumida, Tokyo<br/> 5-minute walk from Morishita Station (Toei Shinjuku Line, Toei Ōedo Line)

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[https://takamisugi.com/ Official site (as former Tokiwayama stable)] {{in lang|ja}} *[https://www.sumo.or.jp/EnSumoDataSumoBeya/detail/10018/ Japan Sumo Association profile]

Category:Active sumo stables Category:Sports clubs and teams established in 2004 Category:2004 establishments in Japan