Azumazeki Stable, Sumo training facility in Shibamata District, Tokyo, Japan
Azumazeki Stable was a multi-story building in Katsushika Ward that housed sleeping quarters, a kitchen, and a central training hall with clay floors. The facility accommodated around a dozen wrestlers who lived and trained there daily.
Takamiyama founded this training stable in 1986 after his active career, becoming the first foreign-born coach in modern sumo history. The stable closed in April 2021 after no new fighters had been recruited.
The facility followed centuries-old rules of communal living, where younger fighters served their seniors and everyone lived under one roof. This daily rhythm included preparing chanko-nabe together, a protein-rich stew designed for building muscle.
Former visitors could watch morning sessions when wrestlers practiced on the clay floor. Since its closure in spring 2021, the location in Shibamata is no longer accessible.
Akebono trained here and reached the top rank of yokozuna in 1993, becoming the first non-Japanese wrestler to do so. His promotion broke through a centuries-old tradition that had only admitted Japanese fighters.
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