Tomozuna stable
He was promoted to "maegashira" 5 for the July tournament, where he recovered from 1–4 to go to 6–4, but then lost his last five matches to finish on 6–9. With the "intai-zumo" (retirement from sumo) of "ōzeki" Kaiō during the same tournament Kaisei become the "heyagashira" (the highest ranked wrestler) at Tomozuna stable. Disappointing scores of 4–11 and 6–9 in September and November 2011 saw him fall to the bottom of the division. A 5–10 record in the January 2012 tournament meant he suffered demotion to "jūryō" in March, but he produced a 10–5 record in Osaka, ensuring a return to "makuuchi". In July 2012 he scored eleven wins, picking up his second Fighting Spirit Award and earning promotion to "maegashira" 1. In September he just fell short with a 7–8 record, losing to Hōmashō on the final day. Since then he has largely alternated winning and losing tournaments. Though he has proven his longevity in the top division, it remains to be seen whether he can achieve more consistent performances. He has yet to defeat a "yokozuna" in more than 30 attempts.