Sadogatake stable
He was promoted to the top "makuuchi" division in January 1928. In 1929 Akutsugawa, the wrestler who had discovered him, retired and encouraged him to join his newly established Sadogatake stable. However Takasago's stablemaster, the former "ōzeki" Asashio Tarō II, did not want his promising "rikishi" to leave and even changed Minanogawa's "shikona" to his own of Asashio to obligate him to stay. Eventually a compromise was worked out and Minanogawa divided his time between the two stables.