Yamahibiki Stable

Yamahibiki stable (山響部屋, Yamahibiki-beya) is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Dewanoumi ichimon or group of stables. It was set up in 1985 as Kitanoumi stable by former yokozuna Kitanoumi, who branched off from Mihogaseki stable. Stablemaster Kitanoumi died of colorectal cancer and multiple organ failure on the evening of November 20, 2015. Former maegashira Ganyu, who had been serving as a coach at the stable, inherited it. The stable was renamed Yamahibiki, the elder name used by Ganyu, since the Kitanoumi name could not be inherited, due to it being a one-generation elder stock or ichidai-toshiyori.

As of January 2023 it has 14 active sumo wrestlers.

## **History**

Kitanoumi stable was established in 1985 by former yokozuna Kitanoumi, who branched off from Mihogaseki stable. The stable produced their first sekitori when Taishin was promoted to juryo in 1991. The stable produced their first top division wrestler when Ganyu was promoted to makuuchi in 1996.

Kitanoumi stable recruited Russian Anatoliy Valeryevich Mihahanov. Mihahanov would take the shikona of Orora. Although Orora would never make the salaried ranks, he was very popular and well known for being the heaviest sumo wrestler of all time.

It absorbed Hatachiyama stable in 2006, following the death of its head coach, former ōzeki Hokuten'yū, subsequently absorbing Russian sekitori Hakurozan. In 2008 Hakurozan was dismissed for testing positive for cannabis. Kitanoumi, the chairman of the Sumo Association resigned to take responsibility as Hakurozan belonged to his stable.

In May 2010 it also absorbed Kise stable, which was forced to close after its stablemaster, former maegashira Higonoumi, was implicated in the selling of tournament tickets to yakuza members. As a result of this move the stable had 46 wrestlers, making it by some margin the largest stable in sumo at this time. It was the first stable to have over 40 wrestlers since Futagoyama stable in 1998, and had difficulty in finding room for so many. As a result, Kise was allowed to reestablish the stable in April 2012, and all former members of Kise stable, as well as newcomers Jōkōryū and Sasanoyama who had been recruited by Kise-oyakata, joined the reconstituted stable again.

Stablemaster Kitanoumi died of colorectal cancer and multiple organ failure on the evening of November 20, 2015. Former maegashira Ganyū, who had been serving as a coach at the stable, inherited it. The stable was renamed Yamahibiki, the elder name used by Ganyū, since the Kitanoumi name could not be inherited, due to it being a one-generation elder stock or ichidai-toshiyori. Following the demotion of Kitataiki after July 2017 tournament and Kitaharima after September 2017 tournament, it had no sekitori for the first time since May 2003.

## **Ring Name Conventions**

A few wrestlers at this stable take ring names or *shikona* that begin with the character 北 (read: kita or hoku), meaning north, in deference to the stable's former owner, Kitanoumi. Some examples are Kitaharima, Kitataiki and Hokuseikai.

## **Owners**

* 2015–present: Yamahibiki Kenji (riji, former maegashira Ganyu)
* 1985-2015: Kitanoumi Toshimitsu (rijicho, the 55th yokozuna Kitanoumi)

## **Coaches**

* Onogawa Akeyoshi (iin, former maegashira Kitataiki)

## **Notable Active Wrestlers**

* Kitaharima (best rank maegashira)
* Nionoumi (best rank maegashira)
* Tenichi (best rank makushita)
* Daishoryu (best rank makushita)

## **Notable Former Wrestlers**

### **Makuuchi**

* Ganyu (former maegashira)
* Kitataiki (former maegashira)
* Hakurozan (former maegashira) - *transferred from Hatachiyama stable*
* Kitazakura (former maegashira)

### **Juryo**

* Kanechika (former juryo)
* Susanoumi (former juryo)
* Taishin (former juryo)

### **Lower Divisions**

* Hakiai (former makushita)
* Sugita (former makushita)
* Ota (former makushita)
* Orora (former makushita)
* Enshunada (former sandanme)
* Hokutoryu (former sandanme)

## **Usher**

* Tasuke (juryo yobidashi)
* Soichi (juryo yobidashi) - *transferred from Hatachiyama stable*
* Hiromasa (sandanme yobidashi)

## **Website**

* Yamahibiki stable's website [1]
* Yamahibiki stable's Facebook [2]
* Yamahibiki stable's Twitter [3]