Kasugayama stable

File:Kasugayama stable 2016.JPG

File:Kasugayama stable sign 2016.JPG

{{Nihongo|Kasugayama stable|春日山部屋|Kasugayama-beya}} was a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Isegahama ichimon or group of stables. In its modern form it dates from 1954 when it was re-established by former ōzeki Nayoroiwa who led it until his death in 1971. It went out of existence in 1990 when the stablemaster, former maegashira Ōnobori, reached the mandatory retirement age of sixty-five,{{cite book|author=Sharnoff, Lora|title=Grand Sumo:The Living Sport and Tradition|publisher=Weatherhill|year=1992|ISBN=0-8348-0283-X|pages=204}} and was absorbed by Ajigawa stable, but it was revived by Kasugafuji after his retirement as an active wrestler in 1996. As of January 2016 it had 23 wrestlers. Its only wrestler to reach the top division was the Korean born Kasugaō who retired in 2011.

In 2012 Kasugafuji stood down as head following his election to the Sumo Association's board of directors, handing over control to the former Hamanishiki of the affiliated Oitekaze stable, and remained at Kasugayama stable under the name elder name Ikazuchi. However he resigned from the Sumo Association in September of that year.

In 2013 the current and former heads of the stable sued each other, with the former Kasugafuji who still owned the deeds to the premises claiming unpaid rent and demanding eviction, while Hamanishiki claimed the Kasugayama myoseki certificate had not been handed over as promised.{{cite web|url=http://www.sumoforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=32037&hl=hamanishiki|title=Another mini-scandal-Kasugayama wants his kabu!|author=Akinomaki|date=4 October 2013|publisher=Sumo Forum|accessdate=4 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171022085659/http://www.sumoforum.net/forums/topic/32037-another-growing-scandal-kasugayama-wants-his-kabu/|archive-date= 22 October 2017 }} Two trials proceeded on the two separate issues. A settlement was reached on the rent issue in 2015 with Hamanishiki agreeing to move the stable to another location with the same ward of Kawasaki. In August 2016 the court ordered that Hamanishiki pay Kasugafuji 171.6 million yen for the certificate. Hamanishiki appealed this decision to the Tokyo High Court.

In October 2016 the Sumo Association ordered Kasugayama to resign as stablemaster of Kasugayama stable, and that it be absorbed into Oitekaze stable, because Kasugayama's lack of a myoseki certificate meant that he was not qualified to be a stablemaster.{{cite web|url=http://www.sankei.com/sports/news/161012/spo1610120029-n1.html|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170305002119/http://www.sankei.com/sports/news/161012/spo1610120029-n1.html|archive-date= 5 March 2017|script-title=ja:春日山親方に辞任勧告　受諾の方向、力士は追手風部屋に移籍へ|trans-title= Kasugayama would resign, wrestlers moved to the Oitekaze staple|date=12 October 2016|publisher=Sankei|language=Japanese|accessdate=13 October 2016}} They also criticized him for not training or guiding his wrestlers at all during the September tournament, despite being told to after being removed as a judge in August. The closure went ahead despite the stable's koenkai, or supporter's group, sending a petition to the Sumo Association demanding the decision be reversed, and eleven of the stable's wrestlers refusing to move to Oitekaze and instead submitting their retirement papers in protest.{{cite web|url=https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/1726641.html|title=Kasugayama Oyakata resigns, stable closes, group of 11 wrestlers retire|date=20 October 2016|work=Nikkan Sports|language=Japanese|access-date=2 February 2023}}

In January 2017 Hamanishiki resigned from the Sumo Association. In the same month it was announced that the stable would be revived under the name Nakagawa stable and run by Nakagawa-oyakata (former maegashira Asahisato) who had been looking after the remaining Kasugayama stable wrestlers within Oitekaze stable.{{cite web|url=http://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/1770554.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202042359/http://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/1770554.html|archive-date= 2 February 2017|title=中川親方が旧春日山部屋を継承、名称「中川部屋」に|language=ja|trans-title=Nakagawa oyakata took over the former Kasugayama and renamed it "the Nakagawa stable"|date=26 January 2017|publisher=Nikkan Sports|accessdate=30 January 2017}}