Nishonoseki stable (2021)



Nishonoseki stable (二所ノ関部屋) is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Nishonoseki group of stables. It broke off from Tagonoura stable by its founder, the 72nd yokozuna Kisenosato, and officially opened in August 2021 as Araiso stable (荒磯部屋). The name of the stable changed in January 2022 after the Japan Sumo Association approved the changing of Kisenosato's toshiyori (elder name) from Araiso to Nishonoseki, following the retirement of former ōzeki Wakashimazu.

History
In December 2021 Nishonoseki recruited an 18-year-old student from his hometown Ibaraki Prefecture's Ushiku Senior High School, whom he had spotted while frequenting the school's sumo club. In March 2022 the stable recruited a pair of identical twins, Hayashiryū and Rinko, from the same Nagano sumo club as former ōzeki Mitakeumi. In March 2023 the stable also announced the recruitment of 22-year-old amateur yokozuna Daiki Nakamura, a graduate of Nippon Sport Science University. Defined as "the most eagerly awaited prospect to come out of collegiate sumo in decades," Nakamura–who took the shikona "Ōnosato"–began his professional career at the rank of makushita 10 via the makushita tsukedashi system.

Nakamura-oyakata (former sekiwake Yoshikaze) moved to the stable after the January 2022 tournament, due to the closure of his own Oguruma stable, and brought former maegashira Tomokaze with him. Tomokaze was promoted back to jūryō following the January 2023 tournament, becoming the stable's first sekitori.

Ōnosato was promoted to jūryō in July 2023 along with another lower-division wrestler, Takahashi. They are the first two recruited by Kisenosato to become sekitori. In May 2024, one year after his debut, Ōnosato won his first championship in the top division.

Shortly after the May 2024 tournament the former Yoshikaze branched off from Nishonoseki to form his own stable, Nakamura stable.

As of July 2024, the stable had 17 wrestlers.

Ring name conventions
Some promising wrestlers at this stable (such as Ōnosato or Wakenosato) take ring names or shikona that contain the kanji の里 (read "-nosato"), in honor of the founder of the stable, former yokozuna Kisenosato and his master, former yokozuna Takanosato.

Owners

 * 2021-present: Nishonoseki Yutaka (iin, the 72nd yokozuna Kisenosato)

Notable active wrestlers

 * Ōnosato (best rank komusubi)
 * Shirokuma (best rank jūryō)

Notable former members

 * Nakamura Masatsugu (iin, former sekiwake Yoshikaze)
 * Tomokaze (best rank maegashira)
 * (best rank jūryō)

Referees

 * Kimura Ennosuke (makushita gyōji, real name Satoru Ishimaru)

Hairdressers

 * Tokoni (fifth class tokoyama)

Location and access
139-1 Arakawahongō, Ami, Inashiki, Ibaraki Prefecture 10-minute walk from Hitachino-Ushiku Station (Jōban Line)

The present Nishonoseki stable building was opened in June 2022. Prior to that, the stable members trained on an interim basis at the University of Tsukuba.