Shibatayama stable
Shibatayama Stable (Japanese: 芝田山部屋, Shibatayama-beya) is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Nishonoseki ichimon or group of stables. It was founded in 1999 by former yokozuna Onokuni. In February 2013 the stable absorbed its parent Hanaregoma stable due to the imminent retirement of its stablemaster, former ozeki Kaiketsu.
As of January 2023 it has 8 active sumo wrestlers.
History[]
Shibatayama stable was established in 1999 by former yokozuna Onokuni. In March 2008 the stable produced its first sekitori, Daiyūbu, but he spent only one tournament in jūryō and retired suddenly in June 2010 after falling out with his stablemaster. Daiyūbu filed a lawsuit in September claiming that he was slapped and punched, and his topknot was cut off against his will. Shibatayama was questioned by police over the alleged incidents. The case was eventually settled out of court.
In February 2013 the stable absorbed its parent Hanaregoma stable due to the imminent retirement of its stablemaster, former ōzeki Kaiketsu. Among the wrestlers transferring was another Mongolian, Sakigake, who was ranked in jūryō for five tournaments between January 2014 and January 2015. He remains the most senior wrestler at the stable and in January 2020 returned to jūryō after 30 tournaments away.
In March 2016 Shibatayama and wrestler Komatokuni were ordered by the Tokyo District Court to pay 32.4 million yen (287,500 USD) in compensation to a former wrestler who the court ruled had faced "daily abuse" since joining in 2008 and had to undergo four surgeries for a detached retina, eventually losing sight in the eye in 2013. Shibatayama appealed the ruling, and in November 2016 a court-mediated, confidential settlement was reached.
The stable is unusual in that its training dohyō is located in the basement.
Ring Name Conventions[]
Many wrestlers at this stable take ring names or shikona that include either the character 大 (read: o or dai) or 国 (read: kuni), in deference to their coach and the stable's owner, the former Onokuni whose shikona included both characters.
Owners[]
- 1999-present: 12th Shibatayama Yasushi (riji, the 62nd yokozuna Onokuni)
Coaches[]
- Minezaki Nobutake (sanyo, former maegashira Misugiiso)
Notable Active Wrestlers[]
- Shoketsu (best rank makushita)
- Komanokuni (best rank makushita)
Notable Former Wrestlers[]
- Wakanoshima (former juryo)
- Sakigake (former juryo)
- Daiyubu (former juryo)
- Maeta (former makushita)
- Daishochi (former makushita)
Referee[]
- Kimura Kichijiro (juryo gyoji) - transferred from Hanaregoma stable
Usher[]
- Katsuyuki (fuku tate yobidashi) - transferred from Hanaregoma stable
- Keisuke (juryo yobidashi)
Hairdresser[]
- Tokokado (first class tokoyama) - transferred from Hanaregoma stable
Other personnel[]
- Hananokuni Akihiro (wakaimonogashira, former maegashira)
Notable Former Staff[]
- Kimura Ginjiro (makuuchi gyoji) - transferred from Minezaki stable