Thanks to Herouth, we have more details of the Sumo Association’s Board meeting and there are several items of particular interest. Some of the details below are different than what I had presumed in my earlier post, so I wanted to make sure they were known.

1. The Kyokai Planned for the “Care Period” to end after Kyushu
2. Terunofuji was NOT going to be Hakuho’s “supervisor”
3. On Isegahama’s retirement, Miyagino would be transferred to Asakayama (ex-Kaio)
4. Welfare of Hakuho’s recruits is a prime concern — they may not remain, long term, at Isegahama but could be transfered to other stable’s given interest from both the coach and pupil
5. Isegahama will acquire the Miyagino kabu, terms undisclosed
6. Terunofuji will acquire the Isegahama kabu, terms undisclosed

The link to Herouth’s Google Doc is in the embedded post below.

Nikkan Sports published the text of the extraordinary board meeting of July 2nd. Here is a translation (in a Google Document) buff.ly/NqUDsWX

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— ヘルット (@sumofollower.bsky.social) June 2, 2025 at 6:44 AM

Commentary

The six items I noted above are significant. It is possible that the Sumo Association had no intention to ever let Hakuho manage his own stable and they could be blowing smoke up the old keister. But I doubt it and I think they were genuine about the proposed timeline for reopening after Kyushu. It seems more likely that Hakuho planned this exit. He would be in Mongolia for the dedication of his father’s statue at the time of the announcement and that was likely a trip planned well in advance — long before Yokozuna Onosato became a possibility, much less a reality.

If there was a plan to release Miyagino from “care” at the end of this year, he would be on his own and he only needed to hold out for six more months. He would not be under the care of Terunofuji but Kaio. It’s just possible that he loves sumo but hates putting up with spoiled brats and personalities and politics and feigned injuries AND especially REAL injuries. Creating a safe space, devoid of toxic relationships, full of healthy minds and bodies must be friggin’ difficult. I mean, it drove Shikihide to inpatient care.

Kaio is not a young, green stablemaster, as Terunofuji would be. He’s the greatest Ozeki to have never reached the rank of Yokozuna. While he has not produced a great number of sekitori, as Isegahama had, he is a member of the Board and has the affable Kaisei as a coach. When it comes to absorbing another group of guys, a prime consideration would have to be capacity. Maybe Asakayama has the capacity to take in a sekitori, possibly two (Enho?), on short notice. If I remember correctly, Asakayama is close to Isegahama, a short stroll from Kinshicho.

However, it was Hakuho’s decision to leave. We have seen that Hakuho also has dreams of starting a new professional sumo league. More power to him. I’m excited to see what shape that will take and am eager to cover it. One thing I will guarantee, though, the pro wrestlers will not be living together in a dorm, hosted by Hakuho and his wife. Hakuho, his wife, and the families of other managers will not be responsible for the wrestlers’ activities off the dohyo. And Hakuho’s professional league might even have spots for a female division, to allow for his daughters to participate, if they so desire.

Taking on responsibility for the care of other grown men (and teens) is no small thing. And for the stablemaster, that’s probably the biggest priority — yes, more than teaching. You have to feed these guys. Constantly. You have to pay the bills to keep the lights on and the tubs filled with hot water. You don’t just strap on a mawashi and teach new throws. Maybe the realism sank in after the Hokuseiho debacle. And maybe he and his wife did not look forward to going through that again and decided this was the way out.

With Hakuho’s departure, the Miyagino kabu will shift to Asahifuji on June 9 when Isegahama transfers to Terunofuji. The new Miyagino (Asahifuji) will become sanyo, under Terunofuji’s Isegahama-beya, on July 6th. So, Terunofuji will officially be leading the stable this coming Monday morning.

Some rather large questions remain. Going forward, I am not going to concern myself with motivation and whether the Sumo Association wanted him out more than he wanted to escape. There are good rationales either way. But, there are other questions that I am concerned about. What of Ishiura? Will he remain in Isegahama? Will other coaches step up and place interest in Hakuoho, Enho, and others under the former Miyagino banner? Will Enho travel to Nagoya in July? Does Enho want to remain in the sumo world if Hakuho has left?

I look forward to covering developments with Hakuho’s new sumo venture. But Grand Sumo will survive in his absence and I look forward to the action in July. Two Yokozuna, going head-to-head on senshuraku. It’s been ages since we’ve had an opportunity to see that.