The Gyoji

[Yubinhaad 11,598]

Ranks, names and heya correct as of the 2023 Hatsu banzuke.

Tate and Sanyaku gyoji.

 

41st Shikimori Inosuke, Takadagawa-beya

Sanyaku gyoji - Kimura Tamajiro, Tatsunami-beya

Sanyaku gyoji - Kimura Yodo, Kokonoe-beya

Sanyaku gyoji - Kimura Shotaro, Kasugano-beya

 

Sanyaku gyoji - Kimura Konosuke, Kokonoe-beya

Makuuchi gyoji.

 

Makuuchi gyoji - Kimura Hisanosuke, Oshima-beya

Makuuchi gyoji - Shikimori Kandayu, Asahiyama-beya

Makuuchi gyoji - Kimura Motoki, Minato-beya

Makuuchi gyoji - Kimura Akijiro, Kasugano-beya

Makuuchi gyoji - Shikimori Kindayu, Hanaregoma-beya

Makuuchi gyoji - Kimura Ginjiro, Shibatayama-beya

Makuuchi gyoji - Kimura Yonosuke, Hakkaku-beya

 

Makuuchi gyoji - Shikimori Kiichiro, Oitekaze-beya

 

Makuuchi gyoji - Kimura Asanosuke, Takasago-beya

Juryo gyoji

 

Juryo gyoji - Kimura Takao, Tagonoura-beya

Juryo gyoji - Kimura Mitsunosuke, Takadagawa-beya

Juryo gyoji - Kimura Yukihiro, Tamanoi-beya

Juryo gyoji - Shikimori Shinnosuke, Hanaregoma-beya

Juryo gyoji - Kimura Kichijiro, Shibatayama-beya

Juryo gyoji - Kimura Kankuro, Yamahibiki-beya

Juryo gyoji - Kimura Chishu, Dewanoumi-beya

Juryo gyoji - Kimura Zennosuke, Kasugano-beya

 

Juryo gyoji - Kimura Kozaburo, Hakkaku-beya

Makushita & Sandanme gyoji

 

Makushita gyoji - Kimura Hideaki, Tokiwayama-beya

Makushita gyoji - Shikimori Kazuki, Arashio-beya

Makushita gyoji - Kimura Satoshi, Takasago-beya

Makushita gyoji - Kimura Ennosuke, Nishonoseki-beya

Makushita gyoji - Shikimori Tomokazu, Oshima-beya

Makushita gyoji - Shikimori Kinosuke, Sadogatake-beya

Makushita gyoji - Shikimori Shiho, Sadogatake-beya

Makushita gyoji - Kimura Kazuma, Nishiiwa-beya

 

Makushita gyoji - Kimura Kintaro, Nishikido-beya

Sandanme gyoji - Shikimori Seiichiro, Isegahama-beya

Sandanme gyoji - Kimura Sakuranosuke, Shikihide-beya

 

Sandanme gyoji - Shikimori Seisuke, Miyagino-beya

 

Sandanme gyoji - Shikimori Tatsunosuke, Takadagawa-beya

 

Sandanme gyoji - Shikimori Kainosuke, Isenoumi-beya

Jonidan & Jonokuchi gyoji

 

Jonidan gyoji - Kimura Narimasa, Ikazuchi-beya

Jonidan gyoji - Kimura Katsunosuke, Oshima-beya

Jonidan gyoji - Kimura Keitaro, Musashigawa-beya

 

Jonidan gyoji - Kimura Ryunosuke, Kokonoe-beya

Jonidan gyoji - Kimura Shunta, Shikoroyama-beya

 

Jonokuchi gyoji - Shikimori Komei, Naruto-beya

Jonokuchi gyoji - Shikimori Tomokimi, Tokitsukaze-beya

Edited April 5, 2023 by Yubinhaad

[Orion 431]

On Friday Day 6 of the upcoming basho NHK will feature the gyoji.

Orion

[Kintamayama 44,656]

This is incredible. Wow. Which one is the moonwalker? Hisanosuke is the Kitanoumi of gyojis..

[Orion 431]

This is incredible. Wow. Which one is the moonwalker? Hisanosuke is the Kitanoumi of gyojis..

And a lot better looking. He is also the younger brother of Kyokudozan, the sumo star who turned politician.

Orion (did my long post about tomorrow's Hikarigaoka Mongolian students' festival get lost? When I pressed the Post button I found I'd been signed off -- in contrast to my work computer which has been refusing to let me sign off even when I want to...)

[yorikiried by fate 2,001]

I think I will put Kimura Konosuke on yet another wall. Maybe as an installation together with a loop tape of his VOICE?

[nomadwolf 8]

Thanks, these are awesome!

I just noticed that it seems that some of the gyoji have the names of Hakuho or Kotoshogiku on their clothes. I saw 2 others that I couldn't identify...

Hakuho "supporters:

Tate Gyoji Shikimori Inosuke, Tomozuna-beya.
Juryo Gyoji Shikimori Kiichiro, Oitekaze-beya.

Kotoshogiku:

Juryo Gyoji Shikimori Shinnosuke, Matsugane-beya.
Sandanme Gyoji Kimura Takanosuke, Naruto-beya.

Can't identify:

Juryo Gyoji Kimura Mitsunosuke, Minezaki-beya.
Sandanme Gyoji Shikimori Kazuki, Arashio-beya.

[kedevash 43]

If i'm not wrong i think Kimura Shonosuke ( Toshihiro Yamaasaki ) will have 65 during the bahso. On the 16 th of may. Maybe someone can confirm that.

I don't know if he can retire during the tournement or if he has to do it before shonichi.

Ps : Orion, i send you a private message. Do you have seen it?

Edited May 5, 2013 by kedevash

[Bugman 384]

About to administer the new punishment for excessive Matta. :-D

Edited May 5, 2013 by Bugman

[kuroimori 1,634]

About to administer the new punishment for excessive Matta. :-D

Haha! nice one!

Some of this truly great portraits also feature another game: "guess the t-back rikishi" :-D

[Washuyama 638]

Haha! nice one!

Some of this truly great portraits also feature another game: "guess the t-back rikishi" :-D

I'm afraid KotoViki would easily win that game... :-P

[Bugman 384]

About to administer the new punishment for excessive Matta. :-D

Haha! nice one!

Some of this truly great portraits also feature another game: "guess the t-back rikishi" :-D

I never thought i'd one day be trying to recognise stranger's asses on a forum, but i'd bet a fiver that the one in that photograph belongs to Kotoshogiku, perhaps we'l never know.

Edit* Well i lost my fiver, i just realised this is a sandanme gyoji and Kotoshogiku's last performance wasn't bad enough to send him down that far, a Bugman and his money are easily parted. :(

Edited May 5, 2013 by Bugman

[Yubinhaad 11,598]

I just noticed that it seems that some of the gyoji have the names of Hakuho or Kotoshogiku on their clothes. I saw 2 others that I couldn't identify...

Hakuho "supporters:

Tate Gyoji Shikimori Inosuke, Tomozuna-beya.

Juryo Gyoji Shikimori Kiichiro, Oitekaze-beya.

Kotoshogiku:

Juryo Gyoji Shikimori Shinnosuke, Matsugane-beya.

Sandanme Gyoji Kimura Takanosuke, Naruto-beya.

Can't identify:

Juryo Gyoji Kimura Mitsunosuke, Minezaki-beya.

Sandanme Gyoji Shikimori Kazuki, Arashio-beya.

My impression (I don't know for sure) is that it's mostly an ichimon thing. Tomozuna and Oitekaze are part of Isegahama ichimon, as is Hakuho's Miyagino-beya. Another possible Isegahama ichimon link is the 'myoga' mon worn on the outfits of Kimura Hisanosuke (Tomozuna) and Shikimori Kazuto (Oitekaze) - it is also the mon worn by ex-Asahifuji and Harumafuji.

Shikimori Kazuki's outfit displays Kakuryu's shikona. Arashio-beya is part of Tokitsukaze ichimon, as is Kakuryu's Izutsu-beya. My guess is that at the time the outfit was being made, he was the highest ranking rikishi from the ichimon, so his shikona got the gig.

Same theory for the outfits of Kimura Mitsunosuke and Kimura Kazuma, which display Kisenosato's shikona. Minezaki-beya is in Nishonoseki ichimon along with Kisenosato's Naruto-beya.

Like I said I don't know any of that for sure; if anyone has some more concrete information I'd appreciate it. :-)

[Yubinhaad 11,598]

Gyoji have many other duties apart from officiating bouts on the dohyo. One such duty is the creation of the itabanzuke, which is displayed on the drum tower outside each honbasho venue. In these pictures, Kimura Zennosuke (in the purple top) and Kimura Kichijiro are writing the banzuke on the wood, with Shikimori Kazuki lending a hand later. The finished itabanzuke is then fixed to the drum tower.
 

 

Another wooden fixture of every basho is the gomenfuda, also usually placed somewhere near the drum tower. Kimura Yonosuke is shown writing the gomenfuda for the 2013 Aki basho.

 

A completed gomenfuda installed next to the drum tower.

Gyoji are also tasked with writing out the shikona of every rikishi on rolls of narrow paper, called maki. These will be used by the torikumi committee when they meet to work out who will fight who during the basho. After every bout each rikishi has his opponent's shikona written next to it, so the committee can make sure that nobody fights the same opponent twice.

 

Younger gyoji prepare the rolls of paper.

Kimura Ryosuke.

Shikimori Kinosuke.

Kimura Satoshi.

A completed maki.

Next, Shikimori Masahiro and Shikimori Kazuki write the shimpan schedules for an upcoming basho.

 

Back in the arena, some senior gyoji can often be seen sitting near the dohyo during the Jonokuchi bouts, keeping a close eye on the younger gyoji in their first years in the job.

 

Kimura Shotaro and Kimura Motoki watch Kimura Sakuranosuke.

Kimura Keinosuke (right) also watches one of the newer gyoji.

Kimura Motoki offers some words of advice to Shikimori Seiichiro.

Gyoji also operate the public address system in the arena during honbasho, announcing the rikishi taking part in the next bout, the result and the kimarite.

 

Kimura Hisanosuke, Shikimori Kinosuke and Kimura Ryosuke are among the gyoji who currently share the microphone duties.

The gyoji move to the side of the dohyo to do the announcing during dohyo-iri, as shown here by Kimura Kazuma and Shikimori Kinosuke.

Edited June 14, 2018 by Yubinhaad

[Benevolance 2,484]

I'd like to take a moment and thank the NSK for single-handedly saving the BC pulp and paper industry. Without your generous consumption, we'd have to cut down less trees.

Aren't Kimura Shoji and Kimura Kichijiro the guys that sit ringside and narrate the juryo/makuuchi dohyo iri?

[yorikiried by fate 2,001]

[krindel 671]

Does anyone know of a resource (or can give here) the approximate ages of Gyoji in each rank?

I understand that to reach Kimura Shonosuke you are very near retirement, but how many years does one normally spent as sanyaku, makuuchi etc?

Would appreciate any info on the matter, thanks :-)

[Akinomaki 40,086]

Does anyone know of a resource (or can give here) the approximate ages of Gyoji in each rank?

Only date of birth and first dohyo-appearance, on the Japanese NSK pages for each heya, the names of which Yubinhaad has listed with the gyoji pictures.

[Benevolance 2,484]

Is it common for gyoji to retire before reaching the Kimura Shonosuke?

[Tamanaogijima 747]

Is it common for gyoji to retire before reaching the Kimura Shonosuke?

Not common, but also not unsual.

In 1992/1993 two Inosuke (26 and 27) retired as they had fewer service time than Inosuke25 but were older and thus reached mandatory retirement age earlier.

I25: Dewanoumi, born 1928.12.15, hatsudohyo 1938.05, retired 1993.11 as Shonosuke28

I26: Kasugano, born 1927.10.22, hatsudohyo 1941.05, retired 1992.09

I27: Kasugano, born 1928.07.18, hatsudohyo 1939.05, retired 1993.07

And I26 would not even have become Inosuke (having entered AFTER I27) but would have retired as a sanyaku gyoji only. If I understood ja.wiki correctly, a Kasugano-internal decision put him ahead of his heya-mate in order to "not lose his face and be able to retire as tate gyoji".

The same in 2000 (but without the "tweak" necessary)...

I28: Nishonoseki, born 1936.03.26, hatsudohyo 1945.11, retired 2001.03 as Shonosuke29

I29: Kasugano, born 1935.08.28, hatsudohyo 1946.11, retired 2000.07

I30: Izutsu, born 1936.01.02, hatsudohyo 1953.09, retired 2000.11

... and in 2006.

I33: Dewanoumi, born 1941.02.13, hatsudohyo 1955.05, retired 2006.01 as Shonosuke32

I34: Takanohana, born 1941.02.10, hatsudohyo 1955.09, retired 2006.01

Kandayu7 and Kindayu7 even had to retire as sanyaku gyoji at the beginning of the Heisei era, the former because of exceptional promotions into sanyaku rank (and thus himself being trapped at makuuchi gyoji level for 27 years), the latter because of the later entry/earlier birth constellation.

Edited June 5, 2013 by Tamanaogijima

[yorikiried by fate 2,001]

Procrastination...

[Torideyama 32]

This is kind of off-topic, but only sort of. What becomes of the itabanzuke after the basho?

[Akinomaki 40,086]

The retired 36th Shonosuke about his secret to never having missed a day in the 49 years as a gyoji (joking): "Not having collided with a rikishi (on the dohyo), maybe."

- others have - dropped from the doyho - even been transported by ambulance.
Gyoji like rikishi start as apprentice (minarai, 3 years - the rikishi in former times in the rules were called like that, too) and go through the ranks (also as minarai - yobidashi the same, tokoyama similar, but with their own type of ranks: 5 classes, starting only after the 3 years as minarai, and one special class.)
Gyoji are not really promoted according to seniority, but according to the evaluation of their records, decided by the riji-kai. Did they have wrong calls, good or bad posture, etc., 6 items. Remarkably superior results may lead to special promotions. Best example is the 27th Shonosuke (born 1925, started 36.1, juryo 50.9, makuuchi 56.5, sanyaku 66.11): in 1974.1, jumping over 2 senior sanyaku gyoji he became the no. 2, Shikimori Inosuke (23rd). Shonosuke at 51 (77.11) is still the record for the youngest. Since the gyoji retirement system was in place he has the most basho as Shonosuke, 79, officiating 1185 bouts.
Looking at the gyoji from below as shimpan is Fujishima-oyakata (Musoyama): "There are skilled gyoji still young but with quick and sharp movements, having only few wrong calls. It's not only according to age, I believe. They (the gyoji special regulations) should actively be applied."
The goyji should feel a similar tension about their results as the rikshi in ozumo, with the banzuke called a harsh world: "One rank different is the same as a vassal, one division different is the same as a worm."
(Sanspo)

[Akinomaki 40,086]

The former 36^th Kimura Shonosuke received a sports distinguished service commendation from Education minister Hakubun Shimomura

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2013/12/27/kiji/K20131227007279820.html

[Treblemaker 254]

I have a question.

In almost every pic, especially at the higher levels, the Gyoji has his left hand clenched into a fist that hides the thumb. The thumb is always tucked under the fingers.

Why is this?

[yorikiried by fate 2,001]

They hide a switch with which they control the blue screen in the background?