Soma Shinya 相馬 伸哉 · そうま しんや

Soma Shinya (相馬 伸哉) is a 21-year-old professional sumo wrestler from Tochigi Prefecture competing under Futagoyama Stable. His story carries a unique dimension that sets him apart from many of his peers: he is the younger biological brother of stablemate Kotakiyama Kento (小滝山 健人), making them one of relatively few brother duos to compete in the same sumo stable.

At 179.0cm and 148.8kg, Soma has a solid, well-proportioned build that is well-suited to the demands of professional sumo. He made his professional debut in 2023 and has been building his experience and technical foundation through the lower divisions. Currently ranked East Makushita 60, he finds himself in the lower tier of the Makushita division — the last non-salaried rank in professional sumo — where each tournament's result directly determines his path toward or away from the salaried ranks.

Training alongside his older brother Kotakiyama gives Soma a significant advantage: a training partner who knows him intimately, who has already navigated the challenges of professional sumo's lower divisions, and who can provide guidance rooted in direct experience. This sibling dynamic is a noteworthy feature of Futagoyama Stable's roster and a story that sumo fans have followed with interest.

As one of the younger and less-experienced wrestlers in the stable, Soma's immediate goal is to solidify his place in Makushita and build the kind of consistent results that will carry him toward the upper half of the division in the coming tournaments.

Current rank: West Sandanme 6 for the May 2026 Natsu Basho. Career high: Makushita 47.

Trajectory: Demoted from Makushita to Sandanme. The next-step target: win his way back into Makushita; with the Sandanme top-10 placement, a 5-2 record at May 2026 should bring him close to Makushita again.

His older brother Kotakiyama currently sits at East Sandanme 44 — both Soma brothers in the same division for May 2026 is a basho-by-basho rarity even at Futagoyama, which already houses three biological brothers.

Source: Self-introduction, New Year resolution, debut interview and Q&A videos on Futagoyama Stable's official YouTube channel 'Sumo food' (2024–2025), transcribed from on-screen captions.

From Otawara City, Tochigi Prefecture. The middle of three biological brothers all wrestling in the same stable — eldest brother Kotakiyama Kento and youngest brother Shunta are also at Futagoyama (see the Futagoyama Stable page for the full Soma-brothers story). Big fan of the Japanese detective drama "Aibou" — especially the Kameyama Kaoru ("Kame-chan") era. The Soma brothers are known in the stable for being particular about scents and fragrances.