Heya (sumo)

's Stable'' by () During the Genroku period, sumo groups concentrated from the countryside to the major cities of Edo, Osaka and Kyoto.These groups consisted of masterless (called ) who had lost their social benefits with the peace established by the Tokugawa shogunate. These put their martial art skills to use in street sumo tournaments, called , for the entertainment of passers-by. A number of street entertainment wrestling groups formed and sometimes toured shrines with benefit sumo performances to raise money for the construction of buildings. Gradually, the groups self-organised under the leadership of elders, who welcomed the wrestlers into their homes. Their homes took the name of (meaning "fraternity house") in reference to the rooms in which these elders met to organise matches during tournaments. Most of the remaining stables moved to the Tokyo suburbs or neighboring towns to escape the bombing. Wrestlers were either drafted into the army or navy, or incorporated into provincial work units organized by stable. During the 1970s, the question arose of opening up the title to foreign wrestlers, and ultimately allowing them to create stables. The Japan Sumo Association initially declared that it was inconceivable that a foreigner could participate as a trainer because sumo was Japan's national sport. After harsh criticism from the press, the JSA declared that the two rising stars of foreign origin Takamiyama and Kaneshiro would indeed be eligible to become coaches after their retirement. Takamiyama was the first to retire, becoming a coach under the name Azumazeki and founding Azumazeki stable, the first foreign-born sumo wrestler to do so. In 2003, former Musashimaru also retired and in 2013 founded Musashigawa stable. ==Organization and running==

Stable ownership still bears the sign in honor of the stable's founder (written from right to left) The approval of the Japan Sumo Association is required to open a new stable or to inherit an existing one. The approval is regularly granted and the association gives its elders a great deal of leeway, but it ultimately has the final say in organization. Technically, any retired wrestler who has become a by acquiring an elder share in the Japan Sumo Association can open his own stable. Since only 105 shares exist, there is thus a maximum potential of 105 stables. A is always named after the (the name of the elder share) owned by its head coach. A stablemaster is obligated to retire and pass on ownership of his at age 65. When someone who has not inherited the retiree's elder name takes over a , the name of the is generally changed to the new owner's elder name. In most cases, men become stablemasters through inheritance. A stablemaster can choose any successor who meets the eligibility requirements. Most leave their stable to one of its members when they die or retire. His heir will usually change his elder name to take over the reins of the stable. To do so, he must make a traditional payment to the former stablemaster for the elder share, as well as a payment for the building and land. Since the cost is high, sometimes masters sign a contract to make monthly payments or rental fees instead. There are nuances in the inheritance of stables that differ slightly from the classic management of an elder share. Stables are run on the basis of family relationships, and hence a stablemaster is more likely to give his stable to a relative, or to someone who marries into the family. The other way to become a stablemaster is independence, through the founding of a new stable. Often, new stables are founded by masters who have little chance of inheriting their home stable. The creation of a stable is never immediate. Elders who wish to set one up usually stay with their former stable for a while as a coach, to learn how to manage it. The new stable is usually founded by taking on some of the wrestlers from the old stable. It is common for the new stable to maintain strong links with its original stable. However, the creation of new stables remains a marginal phenomenon, as elders often lack the financial backing to become independent. In the 1990s, rumor had it that founding a stable required around ¥200 million. In the early 2020s, the trend was for stables to close and merge with one another. Finances Until 1950, the stables operated without assistance from the association. In return, the stables divided up the Japanese territory to organize tours and the donations collected went entirely to the stable. In addition to this maintenance sum, a fixed sum is paid for any wrestler in the stable who has not reached status. A so-called "incentive" sum is also paid every tournament month, meaning every two months starting in January, for each wrestler trained to status. This sum varies according to a wrestler's current rank: the higher he is in the hierarchy, the higher the sum paid to his stable master. In this system, where the big stables receive large sums of money, the distribution of funds is designed as an incentive for elders to recruit and train winning wrestlers. In the wake of a scandal that revealed links between several wrestlers and trainers and organized crime, reforms were put in place forcing stables to publish the list of their patrons and to be able to set up only in buildings whose owners had been previously recognized by the Sumo Association, in order to increase the financial transparency of professional sumo. Although the association gives money to the stables, they remain financially very challenging to maintain, with costs such as food running into the thousands of US dollars per month. A saying states that a stable is only profitable when it can house ten wrestlers. Stables are therefore largely dependent on support groups. These groups of patrons, known as , began to emerge during the late and mid-Edo period in Edo and Osaka. The groups grew during the Meiji period, when nobles who had previously formed wrestling groups turned away from the sport. In their place, associations of patrons were formed to award prizes to wrestlers who scored well in tournaments. The first two associations among the oldest known were the and the , the latter not being linked to any particular stable. The practice of creating a patron's club to support famous wrestlers then developed in the early 20th century. In those days, supporting wrestlers by taking them to lunch or paying for their entertainment was considered a great extravagance. Nowadays, being seen in the company of wrestlers is still an indication of status and wealth. Patron groups can support specific stables or wrestlers. They vary in size according to popularity. It's not unusual for to be run by powerful financiers or government officials, with a restricted and elitist group membership. Although most of the support and sums paid to the stables remain secret, some relationships are well known, such as the relationship between the old Futagoyama stable (latterly known as the former Takanohana stable) and a Buddhist sect, which is said to have contributed the equivalent of $5 million to the stable. ==The ==

As in other traditional disciplines such as Noh or Shogi, where players belong to schools which in turn belong to larger groups of traditions, belong to groups formed throughout the history of sumo. In professional sumo, these groups are called , a grouping of stables in which each stable must be affiliated. Clans are sometimes referred to as the sports equivalent of a traditional family or a commonwealth. If an elder decides to set up his own stable and he and his former master part on good terms, his stable will be part of the same clan as his original stable. Following the Takanoiwa affair and the dissolution of the Takanohana in 2018, the total number of clans in the Sumo Association was fixed to five and it was made mandatory for all stables to choose which clan to join, putting an end to the loose system and the autonomy of stables in their choice of alignments. The are encouraged to support each other. This support is mainly shown during joint training sessions, called , but also during festivities such as weddings and funerals of a member of the same clan. After a wrestler is promoted to the rank of , it is traditional for the ceremony to create his (sacred rope belt) to be organized by his stable and those of his . It is also customary for a to perform his ring-entering ceremony accompanied by a and a from his clan. Each vote is normally along the interests of the , which explain why the bigger clans more often holds the association's chairmanship. Of the five current clans, not all enjoy the same influence within the association. For example, the Dewanoumi and Nishonoseki clans each have more influence than the three smallest clans (Tokitsukaze, Isegahama and Takasago) combined. ==Stablemates==

Recruitment and wrestlers Since the 1970s, the largest stables have established scouting networks throughout Japan, supported with the help of retired wrestlers and patron-club members. The process of being recruited by a stable is fairly straightforward, with most happy to publish their details and telephone number on their own website. It is also not rare for acquaintances of the coaches or stablemaster, or one of the stable wrestlers, to bring potential apprentices to a specific stable. When on tours, masters always reach out to young wrestlers in an effort to find future professionals. Despite all the efforts made by masters to attract new talent, it is often the case that young wrestlers are motivated to join the stable solely by the reputation and achievements of the current master. Most of the time, the stables ask their new recruits to train for a trial period before accepting a wrestler definitively. At the other end of the scale, only two stables have fewer than five wrestlers: Kataonami stable with four wrestlers (including two ) and Nishikido stable with three wrestlers. Of all the active stables, twelve had no salaried wrestlers. In terms of proportions, Kise and Oitekaze are the stables with the best ratio of to total members (six out of twenty-one wrestlers each). Foreign recruits When registering as a wrestler, foreigners must have the support of two guarantors and a work visa. Foreigners who are accepted as apprentices generally find it very difficult to integrate into stable life, and especially to get used to the diet. The Japan Sumo Association caps the number of foreign wrestlers who can enter a professional stable. The Sumo Association's new director Dewanoumi announced that he was considering limiting the number of foreign recruits per stable and to cap it at the level of the entire association. The decision remained informal, but foreign recruitment ceased for a period of around six years. Dewanoumi's decision was later overturned, with the formalization that a limit of only two foreign wrestlers could belong to the same stable. At association level, the total number of foreign wrestlers was set at forty. He explained, there would be ten Hawaiian wrestlers in the same stable living in their own "little clique," not learning Japanese, so the rule "protects the culture of stables." However, on 23 February 2010 the Sumo Association announced that it had changed its definition of "foreign" to "foreign-born" (), meaning that even naturalized Japanese citizens will be considered foreigners if they were born outside of Japan. The restriction on one foreign wrestler per stable was also reconfirmed. This change in policy was also attributed to the actions of former Asashōryū, which fueled a growing anti-foreigner feeling within the Sumo Association. As Japanese law does not recognize subcategories of Japanese citizen, it was pointed out that this unique treatment of naturalized citizens may be illegal under Japanese law. Since 1976, if a foreigner wishes become a by acquiring an elder share in the Japan Sumo Association, he must give up his nationality and become a Japanese citizen. In recent years, an increasing number of wrestlers of foreign origin have become elders and founded stables. In the world of professional sumo, where there are no player transfers, the no-match rule between stablemates can play a crucial role in allocating for entire seasons, provided that, with the hazards of stable closures and openings or the training of great wrestlers, a stable is able to count on several competent wrestlers. For example, the rule worked to the advantages of Futagoyama stable's Takanohana, Wakanohana and Takanonami, during the 1994–2000 period, as they never had to fight each other when all three were at the top of the ranking, either ranked at or . In addition, during Futagoyama's pinnacle, these wrestlers could do without facing five other wrestlers on the roster with the presence of Akinoshima, Takatōriki, Misugisato, Takamisugi and Wakashoyo during the 1992–1995 period. The wife of the stablemaster is known as the . She is traditionally expected to abandon her career and devote herself entirely to helping her husband. She takes on the role of surrogate mother for the people attached to the stable, imitating the stablemaster's paternal role. Since most young recruits become wrestlers after junior high school, the emotional and physical separation from their families can be very painful, and it is the 's role to comfort and advise them. In the stable, the is responsible for a wide variety of tasks. She mainly advises recruits and helps with kitchen chores. She is also in charge of management, teaching, accounting, and even banking, since she is often in charge of the young wrestlers savings. She manages the public relations of the stable, whether with the wrestlers' families or the patron's organization. play such an important role in the stables that without them many would find it difficult to function. , or "caretakers", work as transportation and storage managers, handling association equipment used for tournaments and . In addition they deal with miscellaneous, primarily physical tasks. They are instructed by the master of the stable they belong to, or other association members (including ). There can be only thirteen within the Japan Sumo Association. (hairdressers) are also affiliated to the stables. Stables that do not have their own can turn to hairdressers from other stables belonging to the same to do their wrestlers' hair, or a communal hairdresser at the tournament. If a 's stable doesn't have a more experienced hairdresser, a hairdresser from the same will take over the apprenticeship. ==Life in the stable==

Building wooden nameplate was calligraphed by the head priest of the Kiyomizu-dera (in Kyoto), Mori Kiyonori, who is known for writing the emblematic kanji of the years in Japan. The entrance to a stable is often marked by a calligraphic wooden nameplate. Some of them are carefully written by famous calligraphers. Most signs are installed vertically. Stables have a great deal of freedom in the signs they choose to install: the Arashio stable's sign was calligraphed to depict a cliffside landscape facing the sea, while the Miyagino stable's sign made the unconventional choice of applying gold leaf to the name, at a total cost of ¥2 million. Each stable features the same basic layouts, with common rooms that can be used as dormitories, a dining area, communal baths and a training room equipped with a (called ). Next to it, a wooden or tatami platform is set up so that masters can watch training more comfortably and visitors can observe the training session. The stablemaster lives in his stable, with his quarters on the upper floors. He lives there with his family in an apartment better furnished than the rest of the building. In the common room, personal storage is usually nothing more than a plastic container. Another method of obtaining a suitable building is to reuse the building of a stable that has previously moved, as was the case for Musashigawa stable, which currently occupies the premises of the now-defunct Nakamura stable. On tour quarters in Higashiōsaka (left bearing the name of Asashōryū and right bearing the name of the stable. When the stables have to travel outside Tokyo for the year's three external tournaments, they often set up in shrine grounds due to the Shinto origins of sumo. For example, Tatsunami stable is known for being hosted at the Sumiyoshi-taisha during the Osaka tournament, In recent years, however, more and more stables have opted for community centers. The decision to relocate accommodation is often due to requests from sanctuaries who, in accommodating the large stables, often notice damage to temple precincts and buildings. These installations in community centers also raise a number of questions, not least because some municipalities, particularly interested in the presence of wrestlers, often offer a large number of lodgings, some of which are also dedicated to emergency accommodation in the event of natural disasters. During the local tournaments, the relative independence of married wrestlers comes to an end, as they are obliged to stay with the rest of the wrestlers in the dormitory. During the scandal surrounding the links between certain stables and organized crime, it was revealed that several stables had used a criminal network to find land on which to settle, such as Sakaigawa stable for the Nagoya tournament or Matsugane stable for the Osaka tournament. A strict lifestyle Life in a stable is similar to that of a family home and a paramilitary organization. Stable management is above all autocratic and incorporates elements of communal life. Most wrestlers, and all junior-ranked ones, live in their stable in a dormitory style: training, cleaning, eating, sleeping and socializing together. At the top of the social pyramid, the takes on a paternal role. Of all the coaches potentially present in the stable, he alone is the owner of the stable and therefore the highest authority in communal life. The respect and duties associated with wrestlers depend entirely on their ranking. Upon joining the stable, a young recruit is assigned to a more experienced wrestler. In theory, this mentoring by a senior wrestler is encouraged so that a newcomer is familiar with the codes of stable life. In practice, however, recruits become responsible for so many chores that they can be considered "personal slaves". At the very top of the active wrestlers is the , the highest-ranked wrestler in his stable. In the internal organization of the stables, the hierarchy often implies that successful wrestlers barely out of their twenties have authority over newly recruited teenagers, which regularly creates discipline problems. During the afternoon hours, the non- wrestlers often take on other tasks, such as cleaning the entire stable and the baths, emptying the garbage cans or doing the laundry and drying the used . After these chores, it is not unusual for a stable to be perfectly silent. Afternoon periods are generally devoted to relations with support organizations and fan clubs, hobbies, or taking care of a family, if a wrestler has obtained the right to marry. On the evening of the end of a tournament, the stables organize an , a party including all stable members and patron groups. New evolutions wrestlers (left: Ura, then relegated to ) in 2018 In the 1970s, the male-dominated environment of the stables created a number of problems, including frequent police interventions for public drunkenness, disorderly conduct, brawling, and inappropriate behavior towards women. Fans prefer wrestlers with a different image, and the disciplinary regime required by the Sumo Association for its stables is sometimes considered stricter than in the rest of Japanese society. As early as the 1990s, stablemasters and also began to take part in housekeeping and cooking activities, whereas in previous decades these tasks had been assigned exclusively to low-ranking wrestlers. It is becoming increasingly common for stables to be involved in partnerships and cooperation agreements. These partnerships often aim to cooperate further in a wide range of areas, including tourism, culture, sports, and educational promotion, and work closely to revitalize local communities. This was particularly the case for Ōshima stable, Kokonoe stable and Futagoyama stable that signed a partnership and cooperation agreement with the Katsushika Ward of Tokyo. The Asahiyama stable, with a view to asserting itself as a community center, founded back-to-back an animal shelter and a bakery in 2021. For its part, Oshiogawa stable opted for an apartment complex (the Creative House Bunka) mixing rental apartments with stable quarters. The initiative was taken to strengthen social ties in the neighborhood, and Oshiogawa stable provides access to morning training sessions and organizes dinners for residents and photo sessions with babies. In contrast to the secretive reputation of professional sumo, it has become common practice for stables to welcome visitors to watch training sessions. Spectators can attend free of charge, although rules vary from stable to stable, as to the size of the group and whether advance notice or a Japanese speaker are required. In addition to occasional visitors, the stables regularly welcome elementary and junior high students during the summer vacations as part of the "Open sumo stable" program organized by the Sumo Association. Finally, a growing number of are launching YouTube channels, broadcasting training sessions and introducing the wrestlers who make up their stables. This medium has become popular because it also allows viewers to satisfy their need for sumo content without having to rely on television broadcasts, publications affected by time differences, or the overall lack of ticket availability for the general public. ==See also==