Shikihide stable


Shikihide stable, full name Shikimori Hidegoro stable, is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Dewanoumi ichimon or group of stables. It was set up in 1992 by former komusubi Ōshio. The stable did not produce a sekitori until 2012, when his top wrestler Senshō of Mongolia finally won promotion to the jūryō division in the January tournament after eleven years in sumo. The nineteen years and nine months Shikihide stable took to produce a sekitori is the longest by a newly established stable since World War II. As of January 2020, it had 18 wrestlers. It is situated in Ibaraki Prefecture, and along with Tatsunami stable is one of the stables furthest away from sumo's heartland of Ryōgoku.
All members of Shikihide stable have to complete their high school education, and Shikihide has also introduced yoga to his wrestlers after they have finished training for the day. The stable is known for its "open door" policy, allowing anyone who can meet the entry requirements to join regardless of ability. It has several relatively small wrestlers such as Omote weighing only and Baraki just tall, and 14 of its 18 wrestlers have yet to make it past the bottom two divisions of jonokuchi and jonidan.

Ring name conventions

Some wrestlers at this stable take ring names or shikona that end with the character 桜, in deference to their coach and the stable's owner, the former Kitazakura. Examples as of 2017 include Wakatozakura, Abezakura, and Hattorizakura. The last named has attracted some attention for his persistence in the face of an almost complete lack of success: as of January 2020, Hattorizakura had recorded only three wins in 180 bouts.

Owners

Ibaraki prefecture, Ryugasaki City, Sanuki 4-17-17
10 minute walk from Sanuki Station on the Jōban Line