was a

stable A stable is a building in which working animals are kept, especially horses or oxen. The building is usually divided into stalls, and may include storage for equipment and feed. Styles There are many different types of stables in use tod ...

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 th ...

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 The was an Japanese era name, era of History of Japan, Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feu ...

by former ''

yokozuna , or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers ('' rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments. This is the o ...

Nishinoumi Kajirō I was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Sendai, Kagoshima, Sendai, Satsuma Province. He was the sport's 16th ''yokozuna (sumo), yokozuna'', and the first to be officially listed as such on the ''banzuke'' ranking sheets, an act which str ...

, the 16th ''

'', who became the 7th Izutsu-''oyakata''. He was succeeded by

Nishinoumi Kajirō II was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He was the sport's 25th ''yokozuna''. Career His real name was , but he later changed his surname to . He entered sumo in January 1900, using the ''shikona'' name . He changed it to in May 1905, a ...

, 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 was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Asahikawa, Hokkaidō. He made his professional debut in 1957, reaching the top ''makuuchi'' division in 1964. He was the sport's 52nd ''yokozuna'', a rank he attained in 1970. He won ten tournament ...

(who would become the head of

Kokonoe stable 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 mos ...

). Tsurugamine Akio had previously attempted to obtain the Izutsu stock from the widow of his old stablemaster, the former ''maegashira''

Tsurugamine Michiyoshi Tsurugamine Akio (26 April 1929 – 29 May 2006), real name Akio Fukuzono, was a sumo wrestler from Aira, Kagoshima, Japan. His highest rank was ''sekiwake.'' He was twice runner-up in a tournament and won 14 special prizes, including a record ...

, 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, ,

Sakahoko Sakahoko Nobushige (born Yoshiaki Fukuzono; 18 June 1961 – 16 September 2019) was a Japanese sumo wrestler. The son of Tsurugamine, he made his professional debut in 1978, reaching the top ''makuuchi'' division in 1982. His highest rank wa ...

and

Terao was a Japanese sumo wrestler. He was born in Tokyo, but brought up in Kajiki, Aira District, Kagoshima, Japan. He fought out of Izutsu stable. The highest rank he reached was ''sekiwake.'' Despite his relatively light weight he had an extreme ...

, were members of the stable, with Sakahoko and Terao emulating their father by reaching the ''

sekiwake , or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers ('' rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments. This is the o ...

'' 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 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. Fo ...

'' 9. The stable declined from around 20 wrestlers when Sakahoko inherited it to just three as of 2019, of whom the sole ''

sekitori A ''sekitori'' (関取) is a '' rikishi'' (力士, sumo wrestler) who is ranked in one of the top two professional divisions: '' makuuchi'' and '' jūryō''. The name literally translates to having taken the barrier, as only a relatively small fr ...

'' 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. Sakahoko died at the age of 58 in September 2019. The stable's wrestlers and ''

tokoyama A is a traditional Japanese hairdresser specializing in the theatrical arts (kabuki and ) and Sumo#Professional sumo, professional sumo. The trade is the result of a slow evolution from the traditional Japanese barbers of the Edo period, some ...

'' were temporarily under the care of Kagamiyama, a director of the

Japan Sumo Association The , officially the ; sometimes abbreviated JSA or NSK, and more usually called Sumo Kyōkai, is the governing body that operates and controls Professional sports, professional sumo wrestling, called , in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Min ...

and fellow member of the Tokitsukaze group, but moved to

Michinoku stable The was a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tokitsukaze ''ichimon'' or group of stables. It was established in 1974 by former ''maegashira'' , who branched off from Izutsu stable, and closed in April 2024, at the time of the retirement of f ...

, which is run by the former stablemate of Sakahoko, former ''ōzeki'' Kirishima, and originally branched off from Izutsu in 1974. Demolition of the building that housed Izutsu stable began on 4 November 2020. The Izutsu elder name was used from 2020 to 2023 by the former

Toyonoshima Toyonoshima Daiki (born June 26, 1983, as Daiki Kajiwara) is a former professional sumo wrestler from Sukumo, Kōchi, Japan. He made his professional debut in January 2002, reaching the top ''makuuchi'' division in September 2004. He was a runner ...

of the affiliated

Tokitsukaze stable The is a stable of sumo wrestlers in Japan, one of the Tokitsukaze group of stables. It was founded in 1769 and was dominant during the Taishō period. In its modern form it dates from 1941 when it was established by Futabayama, who was still a ...

Ring name conventions

Most wrestlers at this stable took ring names or ''

shikona A is a sumo wrestler's ring name. The tradition of ring names in sumo dates back to the Muromachi period and established itself during the Edo period, where they were used as a means to hide the identities of the . Given by the master to his di ...

'' 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''

) *1977-1994: 13th Izutsu (former ''sekiwake'' Tsurugamine Akio) *1974-1977: 12th Izutsu (former ''yokozuna''

) *1972-1974: 11th Izutsu (former ''maegashira'' Hoshikabuto Yoshio) *1947-1972: 10th Izutsu (former ''maegashira''

) *1931-1944: 9th Izutsu (former ''maegashira'' Hoshikabuto Saneyoshi) *1909-1931: 8th Izutsu (former ''yokozuna''

)

Notable former members

( the 25th ''yokozuna'') *

Nishinoumi Kajirō III was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He was the sport's 30th ''yokozuna''. Career He was born . He joined Izutsu stable and made a debut in January 1910. His first ''shikona'' or ring name was . In January 1914, he changed its given name ...

( the 30th ''yokozuna'') *

Kakuryū Rikisaburō is a former professional sumo wrestler from Sükhbaatar Province, Mongolia. He was a member of the top ''makuuchi'' division from November 2006 in sumo, 2006 until his retirement in March 2021, and was the 71st ''yokozuna'' in history. He rea ...

( the 71st ''yokozuna'') *

Toyokuni Fukuma was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Oita City. He made his debut in 1915. He won two top division tournament championships. His highest rank was '' ōzeki''. He retired in 1930 and became a sumo coach. Early life Born , he had a ver ...

(former '' ōzeki'') *

Kirishima Kazuhiro is a former sumo wrestler from Makizono, Kagoshima, Japan, who held the second highest rank of '' ōzeki'' from 1990 to 1992 and won one top division tournament championship, and was runner up in seven others. He retired in March 1996, and from D ...

(former ''ōzeki'') * Komagatake Kuniriki (former ''ōzeki'') *

Terao Tsunefumi was a Japanese sumo wrestler. He was born in Tokyo, but brought up in Kajiki, Aira District, Kagoshima, Japan. He fought out of Izutsu stable. The highest rank he reached was '' sekiwake.'' Despite his relatively light weight he had an extre ...

(former ''

'') * 36th

Kimura Shōnosuke Kimura (written: or lit. "tree village") is the 17th most common Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname *, Japanese novelist *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese botanist *, Japanese idol and singer *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese s ...

(given name Toshihiro Yamazaki - former chief referee)

Hairdresser

*Tokotsuru (1st class ''

'')

Location and access

Tokyo, Sumida Ward, Ryōgoku 2-2-7
8 minute walk from west exit of

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 the Sōbu Line

References

External links

Official site

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