Heya — Stable
A heya (部屋, literally "room") is a sumo stable — the training organization to which all professional sumo wrestlers belong. Every rikishi (wrestler) must be a member of a heya, and their daily life revolves around it: they live, train, eat, and work together under the authority of a oyakata (stablemaster).
Each heya is headed by a former wrestler who holds a Japan Sumo Association elder name (toshiyori myoseki). The stablemaster is responsible for recruiting new wrestlers, overseeing their development, and maintaining the heya's finances and reputation.
Heya vary considerably in size. Some develop several top-division wrestlers at once, while others may have only a small roster. Stable identity, coaching lineage, and daily life are central to professional sumo.