RE: Heya history

["Joshua A. Reyer" <jreyer@grn.mmtr.or.jp>]

> Which Sumo beya is the oldest?If I got it right it is closed if
> the oyakata
> quits and does not have a direct successor.So how old is the current
> Futagoyama Beya?Was it opened by Wakanohana 1. or did he get it from his
> teacher?I nearly have the same question on Kokonoe Beya.Was it opened by
> Chiyonoyama?

Wakanohana 1 belonged to Hanagako beya.  He began Futagoyama beya and then
passed it to his kid brother, Takanohana (later Fujishima, later the 2nd
Futagoyama).

The current Kokonoe-beya was begun by Chiyonoyama, who belonged to Dewanoumi
beya.  He's considered the first Kokonoe oyakata, Kitanofuji was the second
Kokonoe oyakata, and Chiyonofuji is the third.  Note that that various
toshiyori/oyakata held the Kokonoe name before, but Chiyonoyama was the
first to definitively open a stable with it.

As for which heya is the oldest, I have only vague suspicions and guesses
(Dewanoumi, Isenoumi, or Takasago).  Those would be the the oldest heya
continuously running.  Sometimes a heya closes, only to be revived years
later.  I have read that Isenoumi beya is around 300 years old.  But on the
other hand, Dewanoumi and Takasago are also ichimon names...

> The German Eurosport commentator once said that Wakanohana will become
> Futagoyama Oyakata once he retires.Is that correct?Or will he have to wait
> until his father is 65?Someone on the ML also mentioned that Takanohana
> might also get Futagoyama Beya.
> The commentator also once said that Takatoriki gets Taiho Beya when he
> retires.So if he hangs up his Mawashi in March will he get it directly or
> will he have to wait until Taiho is too old?

I believe that the transfer of power is a rather individual preference.
Taiho will turn 60 this year.  He may turn the reins right over to T'riki,
or he might wait.  Same with Futagoyama and Wakanohana.  I have the feeling
though that they'll choose early retirement.  Kitanofuji was well, well
below the retirement age when he turned Kokonoe beya over to Chiyonofuji.
Asahiyutaka stepped off the dohyo and right into the shoes of Tatsunami
oyakata.  On the other hand, the first Wakanohana waited until he was the
mandatory retirement age before passing Futagoyama beya to his brother.  But
anyway, there are no rules that say when exactly the transfer must take
place.

Incidently, does anyone know if Taiho will do a Kanreki Dohyo-iri to
celebrate his 60th birthday?  For those that don't know, a Kanreki Dohyo-iri
is when a former yokozuna has reached his 60th birthday, he does a dohyo-iri
wearing a red mawashi, with two active yokozuna acting as tachi-mochi and
tsuyu-harai.

Josh Reyer