What is "heya"

Etymology 1 n. (context sumo English) the so-called "stable" of rikishi who train under the instruction of a particular shisho; the place where this group lives and trains Etymology 2

interj. (alternative form of hiya English)

In sumo wrestling, a is an organization of sumo wrestlers where they train and live. It can also be termed sumo-beya. All wrestlers in professional sumo must belong to one. There are currently 43 heya (as of October 2015), all of which belong to one of six ichimon (groupings of heya). They vary in size, with the largest heya having over thirty wrestlers and smallest just two. Most heya are based in and around the Ryōgoku district of Tokyo, sumo's traditional heartland, although the high price of land has led to some newer heya being built in other parts of Tokyo or its suburbs.

Most heya have a network of scouts, who may be former wrestlers themselves, friends of the head coach, or supporters of the heya, who keep a look out for any powerful or athletic young men and follow the results of local sumo (and judo) competitions. Most new recruits join at the age of 15 or 16, straight from junior high school.

A wrestler is expected to stay with the heya he joins until the end of his career. There is no transfer system in sumo. The only exceptions are if the coach who originally scouted him leaves to found a new heya, in which case he might be permitted to follow him, or if a heya shuts down due to retirement or death of the stablemaster, mismanagement or financial reasons, the remaining wrestlers are often permitted to transfer to another heya, usually within the same ichimon.

Heya may only be set up by an oyakata or elder of the Japan Sumo Association. A heya is always named after its founding oyakata's elder title. An elder is obligated to retire and pass on ownership of a heya at age 65. When a new oyakata who has not inherited the retiree's elder name takes over a heya, the name of the heya is generally changed to the new owner's elder name to reflect this. Further oyakata may be attached to the stable. In September 2006 the Sumo Association tightened the rules on opening up new stables. Now only oyakata who spent at least 25 tournaments ranked in san'yaku or 60 tournaments in the top makuuchi division may do so. The criteria for inheriting an existing heya are much less strict – the former Kanechika, for example was able to take over Miyagino stable despite having never fought in the top division at all, as only 12 makuuchi or 20 jūryō basho are needed.

A special rule dictates that wrestlers from the same heya never fight each other in a main tournament, except in playoffs for a yūshō or divisional championship. This notably worked to the advantages of brothers Takanohana and Wakanohana in recent years, as although they both achieved the top rank of yokozuna, they never had to fight each other (one playoff bout in 1995 excepted) as they both belonged to the Futagoyama stable.

Also attached to a heya are tokoyama (hairdressers), gyōji (referees), and yobidashi (ushers).

Heya or Hey Ya may refer to:

• Hey (interjection), an interjection
• Heya (sumo) from the Japanese word for "room" , also in compounds -beya, or Sumo-beya, an organization of sumo wrestlers (pronounced beya when in compound form)
• Heya TV, from the Arabic word for "Hers", an Arabic-language Lebanese television channel, carried on UBI World TV
• Heya wa Howa, alternative title of Howa wa heya ("Him and Her"), Egyptian TV show
• He Ya (Chinese: 河丫), a minor character related to Shang Yang in the Chinese television series The Qin Empire
• Hey'a, a variant name for Islamic religious police

"Heya" was a 1969 international hit song by J.J. Light, stage name for Navajo singer Jim Stallings, who played bass on several Sir Douglas Quintet albums. "Heya", with B-side "On the Road Now", was released in Germany as Liberty catalog number 56111. Stallings studio band included Larry Knechtel on keyboards, guitarists Gary Rowles and Ron Morgan, and drummers Earl Palmer and Jim Gordon. The song begins with a Native American-like chant and reflects Stallings' ancestry.