Hokuten'yū was scouted at the age of nine by former "ōzeki" Masuiyama Daishiro I of Mihogaseki stable, and given 3,000 yen to ensure his commitment. He made his professional debut in March 1976. He served as a "tsukebito" or personal attendant to the great "yokozuna" Kitanoumi, another Hokkaidō native who belonged to the same stable. In his early career he fought under his own surname of Chiba, but in 1978 he was given the "shikona" of Hokuten'yū, or "heavenly gift from the north", a reference to his birthplace. He was the first wrestler to have a fighting name including the "tenyu" character, which has since been used in a number of other "shikona".