1958 was a good year for the stable as it saw the promotion of the first two homegrown sekitori (those who had started their career at Hanakago).
The stable's success would continue throughout the 1960s and 1970s, with Wajima making ōzeki in November 1972 and yokozuna by July 1973.
[1] Just over a month later in March 1981 Ōnoumi would reach the mandatory retirement age, passing the stable to Wajima who had married the stablemaster's eldest daughter.
He lacked leadership qualities and most unusually did not even live in the stable, preferring to commute.
In 1985 he was pressured by fellow oyakata to resign from the Sumo Association after it emerged that he was heavily in debt due to the failure of his chankonabe restaurant and had put up his share in the Sumo Association as collateral on a loan, a practice strictly forbidden.