What is the Japanese term for a sumo wrestling stable group?

A group of affiliated sumo stables is called an ichimon. The system links separate heya through shared history, cooperation, and organizational relationships within professional sumo.

An ichimon may coordinate training practices, support administrative work, and influence how stables interact during association elections and other institutional matters. Wrestlers remain members of their own heya, but the broader group provides an additional network.

Ichimon should not be confused with heya, which means an individual stable. Basho means a tournament, while kabu refers to an elder stock or membership qualification connected with the Japan Sumo Association. The group system has changed over time as stables merged, split, or moved between affiliations.