Shibatayama Stable (Japanese: 芝田山部屋, Shibatayama-beya) is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Nishonoseki group of stables. It was founded in 1999 by former yokozuna Ōnokuni. Mongolian born Daiyubu became the stable's first wrestler to earn promotion to the jūryō division, in March 2008, but he only lasted one tournament in the division and left sumo in acrimonious circumstances in 2010, claiming in a lawsuit that was eventually settled out of court that he had been forced to retire against his will. In February 2013 the stable absorbed its parent Hanaregoma stable due to the imminent retirement of its stablemaster, former ōzeki Kaiketsu. 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.
Contents
Ring name conventions
Many wrestlers at this stable take ring names or shikona that include either the character 大 (read: ō or dai) or 国 (read: kuni), in deference to their coach and the stable's owner, the former Ōnokuni whose shikona included both characters.
Owner
Notable active wrestlers
Assistant
Referee
Ushers
Hairdresser
Location and access
Tokyo, Suginami Takaido 2-26-9
2 minute walk from Takaido Station on the Inokashira Line