Izutsu stable
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Izutsu stable (井筒部屋, Izutsu beya) is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tokitsukaze group of stables.
The stable was established in the Meiji era by former yokozuna Nishinoumi Kajirō I, the 16th yokozuna, who became the 7th Izutsu-oyakata. He was succeeded by Nishinoumi Kajirō II, the 25th yokozuna. The current incarnation of Izutsu stable is back in the hands of the same family, having been founded as Kimigahama stable by his grandson-in-law Tsurugamine Akio in 1972 and subsequently renamed Izutsu stable five years later, after Tsurugamine obtained the stock from former yokozuna (Kitanofuji (who would become the head of Kokonoe stable). All three of Tsurugamine's sons were members of the stable, with two of them, Terao and Sakahoko, emulating their father by reaching the sekiwake rank. Sakahoko took over the stable from his father in 1994. The stable's sole sekitori as of 2015 is Kakuryū, who reached the yokozuna rank in March 2014.
Ring name conventions
Most wrestlers at this stable take ring names or shikona that begin with the character 鶴 (two alternative readings: tsuru and kaku), in deference to the former owner, who was active as Tsurugamine.
Owners
- 1994–present: 14th Izutsu (fuku-riji, former sekiwake Sakahoko)
- 1972-1994: 13th Izutsu (former sekiwake Tsurugamine)
Notable active wrestlers
Notable former members
- Nishinoumi Kajirō II (the 25th yokozuna)
- Nishinoumi Kajirō III (the 30th yokozuna)
- Kirishima Kazuhiro (former ōzeki)
- Toyokuni Fukuma (former ōzeki)
- Kirishima Kazuhiro (former ozeki)
- Terao Tsunefumi (former sekiwake)
- 36th Kimura Shōnosuke (given name Toshihiro Yamazaki - former chief referee)
Hairdresser
- Tokotsuru (1st class tokoyama)
See also
- Izutsu-oyakata
- List of sumo stables
- List of active sumo wrestlers
- List of past sumo wrestlers
- Glossary of sumo terms