Izutsu stable
When Kakuryū joined Izutsu stable, he weighed just and his "oyakata" former "sekiwake" Sakahoko joked he was better suited to be the stable's "tokoyama" (hairdresser) than a wrestler. Kakuryū made his professional debut at the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament in November 2001, then weighing . After reaching the fourth highest "sandanme" division fairly quickly, he struggled, being demoted back to "jonidan" twice. After 17 tournaments, he finally won the "sandanme" championship in July 2004 with a 7–0 record and earned promotion to the "makushita" division.