Kasugano Stable

Kasugano stable (春日野部屋, Kasugano-beya) is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Dewanoumi ichimon or group of stables. It has been led by former sekiwake Tochinowaka Kiyotaka since 2003. It was one of the most successful stables in 2013, with six sekitori wrestlers, including the Georgian Tochinoshin and the now retired Japanese born (but Korean national) Tochinowaka Michihiro, who used the current head coach's old ring name.

As of January 2023 it has 17 active sumo wrestlers.

## **History**

Kasugano stable was founded in the mid 18th century by a wrestler named Kasugano Gunpachi. It became inactive for a long time but was led in the Meiji period by a referee named Kimura Soshiro (this is no longer allowed as oyakata must now be former wrestlers). He adopted as his son the 27th yokozuna Tochigiyama, who led the stable for over thirty years. He in turn adopted as his son the 44th yokozuna Tochinishiki, who became the head in 1959 whilst still an active wrestler and later served as the chairman of the Japan Sumo Association. Kasugano stable would produce another yokozuna under Tochinishiki's guidance, the 49th yokozuna Tochinoumi. Tochinishiki would produce many sekitori such as ozeki Tochihikari, sekiwake Tochiazuma, sekiwake Tochiakagi, sekiwake Tochinowaka, and many more sekitori.

Tochinoumi took over upon Tochinishiki's death in 1990 and led the stable until his retirement in 2003. Former sekiwake Tochinowaka would thus take over the stable in 2003. The stable absorbed Mihogaseki stable in 2013 when its stablemaster (former ōzeki Masuiyama Daishirō II) reached the mandatory retirement age.

Kasugano Oyakata was warned by the Sumo Association in 2011 after he beat three of his charges with a golf club for breaking a curfew. In a separate case, a junior wrestler was convicted in 2014 of an assault on another wrestler and given a three year jail sentence, suspended for four years. In March 2017 the victim sued Kasugano Oyakata and the now retired assailant, saying he was still suffering from the effects of the broken jaw he received and that Kasugano failed to exercise appropriate oversight.

In January 2018, Tochinoshin would get the makuuchi yusho. This would be the first time in 46 years that a Kasugano stable rikishi won a yusho. The last one was sekiwake Tochiazuma in 1972. Tochinoshin would go on to be promoted to Ozeki later that year.

Kasugano stable has a lot of success with foreigners. Their first foreigner to reach the salaried ranks was Taiwanese rikishi, Tochinohana who made juryo in 1985. Kasugano stable has also produced Korean maegashira Tochinowaka and Georgian ozeki Tochinoshin, the latter being the most successful foreigner out of the stable. Bulgarian sekiwake Aoiyama and Russian sekiwake Aran also transferred to Kasugano stable, although Aran immediately retired upon transferring.

Although Kasugano stable had some success with foreigners, that could not be said for a few. American Shoji Hiraga does hold the distinction of being the first rikishi to join sumo as a foreigner. Hiraga joined Kasugano stable in 1934, however only reached jonidan before retiring. Sri Lankan Tochitaikai only spent two tournaments in professional sumo before quitting. Korean Kyoryu had big hopes, taking three yushos in the unsalaried ranks, however never reaching the salaried ranks. Kyoryu retired in 1983.

## **Ring Name Conventions**

Many wrestlers at this stable take ring names or shikona that begin with the character 栃 (read: tochi, meaning horse chestnut), in deference to the long line of owners who have used this character in their shikona. It originally referred to Tochigi Prefecture, where Tochigiyama came from, but subsequent owners were not from there and the prefix no longer has a geographical meaning.

## **Owners**

* 2003–present: 11th Kasugano Kiyotaka (riji, former sekiwake Tochinowaka)
* 1990-2003: 10th Kasugano Terumasa (the 49th yokozuna Tochinoumi)
* 1959-1990: 9th Kasugano Kiyotaka (the 44th yokozuna Tochinishiki)
* 1925-1959: 8th Kasugano Takeya (the 27th yokozuna Tochigiyama)

## **Coaches**

* Fujigane Masaharu (iin, former komusubi Daizen)
* Hatachiyama Hitoshi (iin, former komusubi Tochinohana)
* Takenawa Taiichi (iin, former sekiwake Tochinonada)
* Mihogaseki Atsushi (iin, former maegashira Tochisakae)
* Iwatomo Mamoru (iin, former maegashira Kimurayama)
* Kiyomigata Yuichiro (shunin, former sekiwake Tochiozan)

## **Notable Active Wrestlers**

* Aoiyama (best rank sekiwake) - *transferred from Tagonoura stable*
* Tochimusashi (best rank juryo)
* Tochimaru (best rank juryo)
* Tsukahara (best rank makushita)
* Tochikamiyama (best rank makushita)
* Tochiseiryu (best rank makushita)
* Tochikodai (best rank makushita)
* Wakazakura (best rank makushita)

## **Notable Former Wrestlers**

### **Yokozuna**

* Tochinishiki (the 44th yokozuna)
* Tochinoumi (the 49th yokozuna)

### **Ozeki**

* Tochinoshin (former ozeki)
* Tochihikari (former ozeki)

### **Sekiwake**

* Tochiazuma (former sekiwake)
* Tochinonada (former sekiwake)
* Tochiakagi (former sekiwake)
* Tochiozan (former sekiwake)
* Tochinowaka (former sekiwake)
* Kaneshiro (former sekiwake)
* Tochitsukasa (former sekiwake)
* Masudayama (former sekiwake)

### **Maegashira**

* Narutoumi (former maegashira)
* Tochioyama (former maegashira)
* Kashimanada (former maegashira)
* Tochinowaka (former maegashira)
* Tochisakae (former maegashira)
* Tochitsurugi (former maegashira)
* Tochifuji (former maegashira)
* Jintozan (former maegashira)
* Ichinoya (former maegashira)
* Kasuganishiki (former maegashira)
* Wakanaruto (former maegashira)
* Hachiya (former maegashira)
* Kimurayama (former maegashira)
* Tochiisami (former maegashira)
* Iwatora (former maegashira)
* Tochinofuji (former maegashira)
* Tochimatoi (former maegashira)
* Katsunishiki (former maegashira)
* Inshuzan (former maegashira)
* Yasome (former maegashira)
* Oedo (former maegashira)

### **Juryo**

* Kasuganada (former juryo)
* Tsugarukuni (former juryo)
* Tochiizumi (former juryo)
* Tochinohana (former juryo)
* Tochizakura (former juryo)
* Tochitenko (former juryo)
* Kasugaryu (former juryo)
* Tochihiryu (former juryo)
* Tochihidake (former juryo) - *Transferred to Tamanoi stable before sekitori status*
* Teruyama (former juryo)
* Oshinoyama (former juryo)
* Tochitada (former juryo)
* Tochibayama (former juryo)
* Tochifudo (former juryo)
* Tochiiyama (former juryo)

### **Lower Divisions**

* Tochinoyama (former makushita) - *transferred to Chiganoura stable*
* Tochitsubasa (former makushita)
* Tochinosato (former makushita)
* Aozora (former makushita) - *transferred from Tagonoura stable*
* Kyoryu (former makushita)
* Miyauchi (former makushita)
* Akimoto (former makushita)
* Tochinonami (former sandanme) - *transferred to Chiganoura stable*
* Hiraga (former jonidan)
* Tochitaikai (former jonokuchi)

## **Referee**

* Kimura Shotaro (sanyaku gyoji)
* Kimura Akijiro (makuuchi gyoji) - *Transferred from Mihogaseki stable*
* Kimura Zennosuke (juryo gyoji)

## **Usher**

* Jiro (tate yobidashi) - *Transferred from Mihogaseki stable*

## **Other personnel**

* Tochinofuji Tatsuyuki (wakaimonogashira, former maegashira)
* Torafusuyama Yoshiyuki (wakaimonogashira, former makushita)
* Tochigeno Yasuyuki (sewanin, former makushita)