Kise Stable (2003)

Kise stable (木瀬部屋, Kise-beya) is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Dewanoumi ichimon or group of stables. It was established in its current form in December 2003 by former maegashira Higonoumi, who branched off from Mihogaseki stable. Following the demotion of Kise-oyakata (or stablemaster) in May 2010 after a scandal involving the selling of tournament tickets to members of the yakuza, Kise stable was dissolved with all 27 of its wrestlers moving to the affiliated Kitanoumi stable. Kise was allowed to reestablish the stable in April 2012.

As of January 2023 it has 22 active sumo wrestlers.

History[]

Kise stable was established in December 2003 by former maegashira Higonoumi, who branched off from Mihogaseki stable, taking seven rikishi along with him. The stable produced their first sekitori when Ichihara was promoted to juryo in 2007. The stable's foreign recruit, Georgian Gagamaru, in May 2010 earned promotion to the top division. It is a popular destination for wrestlers with collegiate sumo experience like its stablemaster, and the retirement of Gagamaru in November 2020 opened up another spot for a foreigner, which was taken for sandanme tsukedashi Kazakhstani Kinbozan.

Following the demotion of Kise-oyakata (or stablemaster) in May 2010 after a scandal involving the selling of tournament tickets to members of the yakuza, Kise stable was dissolved with all 27 of its wrestlers moving to the affiliated Kitanoumi stable. Kise was allowed to reestablish the stable in April 2012. All former members, as well as newcomers Jōkōryu and Sasanoyama (now Daiseidō), joined the reconstituted stable. Jōkōryu reached the rank of komusubi in 2014, but has since fallen greatly down the ranks due to injury, and Daiseidō in September 2017 became the eleventh wrestler from Kise to reach jūryō since its founding in 2003. As of January 2021, it has 29 wrestlers, making it one of the largest in sumo; seven of them are sekitori (salaried ranks).

The stable's biggest achievement came in January 2020, when Kise stable sekitori, Tokushoryu captured the Makuuchi yusho in an upset victory. This marked the first sekitori from Kise stable to capture a top division championship.

Ring Name Conventions[]

Some wrestlers at this stable take ring names or shikona that begin with the characters 肥後 (read: higo), in honor of their coach and the stable's owner, the former Higonoumi. The best known is former juryo wrestler Higonojo. Some other low-ranking members are Higoarashi, Higonoryu, and Higohikari.