出羽海部屋
The son of former "sekiwake" Oginohana Masaaki, he joined Dewanoumi stable in March 1987, where his father worked as a coach, and four years after his elder brother Oginohana Akikazu had also joined the stable. The "Ogi" character in his "shikona" was taken from Ogi, Saga where his father was born. Initially wrestling under his own surname of Koiwai, he switched to Oginoshu in 1989 and then Oginishiki in 1990. He reached "sekitori" status in November 1991 upon promotion to the "jūryō" division and the top "makuuchi" division in May 1993, joining his brother who had first reached "makuuchi" in January 1990.