Takasago Stable

Takasago stable (髙砂部屋 or 高砂部屋, Takasago-beya) is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Takasago group of stables. It is correctly written in Japanese as "髙砂部屋", but the first of these kanji is rare, and is more commonly written as "高砂部屋".

As of January 2023 it has 24 active sumo wrestlers.

## **History**

The stable was established by former maegashira Takasago Uragoro as Takasago Kaisei-Gumi (高砂改正組) in 1873 and joined the Tokyo Sumo Association in 1878. Takasago stable has produced many successful wrestlers, including six yokozuna and eight ozeki, as well as the 33rd Kimura Shonosuke, the tate-gyoji or chief referee. It is one of the most prestigious stables in all of sumo.

Takasago stable absorbed Oyama stable in 1986.

Takasago stable has a very successful history with foreigners. In 1964, Takasago Oyakata (former yokozuna Maedayama) recruited Jesse Kuhaulua. Kuhaulua would take the shikona Takamiyama. Takamiyama would be the first successful foreigner in sumo, reaching sekitori status in 1967 and capturing his first makuuchi yusho in 1972. Takamiyama would be a pioneer for foreigners in sumo. In 1982, Takamiyama recruited another Hawaiian, Salevaa Atisanoe. Atisanoe would later take the shikona Konishiki and would go on to be the first foreigner promoted to sumo's second highest rank, ozeki, and subsequently capture three makuuchi yusho. Konishiki was controversially denied the rank of yokozuna. Another Takasago Hawaiian, Sunahama, reached juryo in 1995. The stable also took in two Samoans in 1984, with one, Nankairyu, being the third foreign rikishi promoted to makuuchi.

In February 2002, the stable merged with Wakamatsu stable, with Wakamatsu's coach, former ozeki Asashio, taking over. Future yokozuna Asashoryu was among the wrestlers transferring over. Asashoryu would go on to be the most successful foreigner and the most successful rikishi from Takasago stable, taking 25 makuuchi yusho.

The demotion of Asasekiryu to the makushita division for the January 2017 tournament saw the stable without any sekitori for the first time since 1878. However, at the end of that tournament Asanoyama earned promotion to the juryo division, ensuring sekitori representation once again from March. Asanoyama would later earn promotion to ozeki in 2020. The former Asasekiryu took over from the former Asashio as head coach of the stable in November 2020.

## **Ring Name Conventions**

Most wrestlers since the mid 1990s and all since 2003 at this stable have quickly taken ring names or shikona that begin with the character 朝 (read: asa), meaning morning, in deference to their head coach, the former Asashio, as well as many of his predecessors who had the same shikona in their active years. For example, the wrestler formerly known as Tamaki changed his shikona to Asagyokusei when he was promoted to juryo in July 2019.

## **Owners**

* 2020-present: 8th Takasago Uragoro (former sekiwake Asasekiryu)
* 2002-2020: 7th Takasago Uragoro (former ozeki Asashio)
* 1988-2002: 6th Takasago Uragoro (former komusubi Fujinishiki)
* 1971-1988: 5th Takasago Uragoro (the 46th yokozuna Asashio)
* 1942-1971: 4th Takasago Uragoro (the 39th yokozuna Maedayama)
* 1915-1941: 3rd Takasago Uragoro (former ozeki Asashio)
* 1900-1914: 2nd Takasago Uragoro (former sekiwake Takamiyama)
* 1871-1900: 1st Takasago Uragoro (former maegashira Takasago)

## **Coaches**

* Wakamatsu Takehiko (fuku-riji, former maegashira Asanowaka)

## **Notable Active Wrestlers**

* Asanoyama (best rank ozeki)
* Asanowaka (best rank juryo)
* Asabenkei (best rank juryo)
* Asagyokusei (best rank juryo)
* Asashiyu (best rank juryo)
* Asakoryu (best rank juryo)
* Fukai (best rank makushita)
* Asatenmai (best rank makushita)
* Osanai (best rank makushita)
* Asakoki (best rank makushita)
* Asahakuryu (best rank makushita)

## **Notable Former Wrestlers**

### **Yokozuna**

* Asashoryu (the 68th yokozuna)
* Konishiki I (the 17th yokozuna)
* Azumafuji (the 40th yokozuna)
* Asashio III (the 46th yokozuna)
* Minanogawa (the 34th yokozuna)
* Nishinoumi I (the 16th yokozuna)
* Maedayama (the 39th yokozuna)

### **Ozeki**

* Konishiki (former ozeki)
* Asashio I (former ozeki)
* Ichinoya (former ozeki)
* Asashio IV (former ozeki)
* Odate (former ozeki) - *transferred to Isenoumi stable*
* Maenoyama (former ozeki)
* Tachihikari (former ozeki) - *transferred from Tomozuna stable*
* Asashio II (former ozeki)

### **Sekiwake**

* Takamiyama (former sekiwake)
* Mitoizumi (former sekiwake)
* Fujizakura (former sekiwake)
* Wakamaeda (former sekiwake)
* Asasekiryu (former sekiwake)
* Maedagawa (former sekiwake)

### **Komusubi**

* Fujinishiki (former komusubi)
* Kuninobori (former komusubi)
* Miyanishiki (former komusubi)
* Toki (former komusubi)

### **Maegashira**

* Asanowaka (former maegashira)
* Shimanishiki (former maegashira)
* Nankairyu (former maegashira)
* Atagoyama (former maegashira)
* Shiratayama (former maegashira)
* Shinshuzan (former maegashira)
* Kurikeyama (former maegashira)
* Tachiwaka (former maegashira)
* Asanoumi (former maegashira)
* Oikawa (former maegashira)
* Asaoka (former maegashira)
* Takanishiki (former maegashira)
* Fujitayama (former maegashira)
* Asaarashi (former maegashira)
* Maenoyama (former maegashira)
* Maenoyama (former maegashira)
* Azumanishiki (former maegashira)
* Maegashio (former maegashira)
* Otayama (former maegashira)
* Mihamanada (former maegashira)
* Hakunozan (former maegashira)
* Asawaka (former maegashira)

### **Juryo**

* Senshuyama (former juryo)
* Omidori (former juryo)
* Ageshio (former juryo)
* Maedahana (former juryo)
* Kumao (former juryo)
* Sunahama (former juryo)
* Goken (former juryo)
* Oga (former juryo)
* Tachihikari (former juryo)
* Wakatsukuba (former juryo)
* Ryujuyama (former juryo)
* Iyozakura (former juryo)
* Umenosato (former juryo)

### **Lower Divisions**

* Nanfu (former makushita)
* Asahimaru (former makushita)
* Amamifuji (former makushita)
* Kimenryu (former makushita)
* Asakishin (former makushita)
* Wakatakami (former makushita)
* Nanyozakura (former makushita)
* Koryu (former makushita)
* Minanosato (former sandanme)
* Ichinoya (former sandanme)
* Shinnishiki (former sandanme)
* Fukujumaru (former sandanme)
* Nanyonishiki (former sandanme)
* Daigonishiki (former sandanme)
* Watenko (former sandanme)
* Hakutozan (former sandanme)

## **Referee**

* Kimura Asanosuke (makuuchi gyoji) - *Transferred from Wakamatsu stable*
* Kimura Satoshi (makushita gyoji)

## **Usher**

* Rikinojo (makuuchi yobidashi)
* Kunio (juryo yobidashi) - *Transferred from Wakamatsu stable*

## **Other personnel**

* Iyozakura Masayuki (wakaimonogashira, former juryo)

## **Gallery of Notable Recent Wrestlers**

AsabenkeiAsanoyamaAsagyokuseiAsashiyuAsanowakaAsakoryu