The Gyoji

[WAKATAKE 2,671]

Not sure how big this news is but Shikimori Yonokichi has changed heya affiliations from Nakagawa to Miyagino.

http://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/1813158.html

[Yubinhaad 11,761]

Former sanyaku gyoji Kimura Tamamitsu died on May 12th at the age of 67, following a battle with stomach cancer. He entered the sumo world in 1965 and reached the mandatory retirement age in February 2015. He suffered a stroke and other health problems in the last few years of his career which held him at the sanyaku rank.

To me he was notable for not saying 'hakkeyoi' at the start of a bout, instead going straight to 'nokotta'. I don't think there are any other gyoji at the moment who do that.

[Yubinhaad 11,761]

Musashigawa-beya has a new gyoji, 15-year-old Kimura Keitaro (木村 啓太郎) from Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture. Normally I'd wait for the new recruits thread to post that, but he makes his first appearance in the Kyokai's pictures from the latest sumoji training session for the younger gyoji.

 

Spoiler

For the first year or two of their career, young gyoji will repeatedly practice the most basic kanji such as 'yama' and 'gawa', before moving on to more complex characters and full shikona. Newcomer Kimura Keitaro is closest to the camera on the left.

Kimura Hideaki keeps an eye on the work of Kimura Kazuma.

Once they have mastered the basics, the gyoji will be tasked with writing signs and banners to be used at jungyo venues. In this shot, Shikimori Shiho is writing a sign to designate a smoking area (喫煙所).

Kimura Toyohiko. These training sessions take place over a period of twelve days and take place in February and June, as there are no jungyo in those months. In other months the gyoji are also expected to practice at their heya during the downtime between honbasho and jungyo.

In the blue jacket is Kimura Masatoshi, who returned to the dohyo in the Natsu basho after being absent for the previous three due to illness.

Among the senior gyoji who work as instructors is Kimura Asanosuke, here guiding Kimura Keitaro.

Wider shots of the gyoji-beya. In the background is a partially written jungyo-size itabanzuke, which I guess is a typical task given to the lower ranking gyoji. And as you can see, gyoji eventually get their own akeni.

Another look at the young gyoji working on the basics. The sheets with orange text are the examples written by the instructors.

In the final picture, Shikimori Kinosuke offers some pointers to Shikimori Tomotaro, who made his debut just recently in the Natsu basho.

 

Edited June 14, 2018 by Yubinhaad

[Senkoho 552]

Who's the young Jonokuchi gyoji in this 1984 video? I'd say Kimura HIsanosuke judging by the eyebrows but I'm not sure

[Senkoho 552]

This is the 35th Shonosuke in his makushita days, right? No idea about the others in this video.

[Yubinhaad 11,761]

Time for an update to the first post, some new and better replacements to older pictures, and including the five newcomers who have joined since the last update. The ranks are updated to include the forthcoming promotions on the 2018 Hatsu banzuke (detailed here), just to avoid the need for an edit next week.

Bonus feature this time is about the gunbai, some of which are very prestigious and have been handed down from senior gyoji. Others receive a gunbai as a gift to mark a particular promotion. Here are a few interesting examples.
 

Spoiler

Kimura Kichijiro has been lucky enough to receive two such gunbai already. This one was created in 1966 to mark the Juryo promotion of Kimura Rinnosuke, who would later become the 30th Kimura Shonosuke, and happens to be Kichijiro's father-in-law.

Meanwhile, this gunbai was handed down from the 29th Kimura Shonosuke, for whom Kichijiro was a tsukebito in the early years of his career. It has a Wakasa-nuri lacquer coating in the Kaigara (seashell) style, and is quite heavy.

The name Kimura Asanosuke is traditionally given to a Takasago-beya gyoji ranked Juryo or higher. The current Asanosuke is the fourth holder, and his gunbai was also handed down to him from his predecessor, later the 33rd Kimura Shonosuke.

Kimura Takao has an interesting gunbai, to mark his Juryo promotion he got it as a gift from one Takanohana Koji. I don't know if there's a particular story behind that connection, or if they're just friends.

Correction: The date on the gunbai is March 2011, some three years after Takao's Juryo promotion. March 2011 marked the 20th anniversary of Takao's hatsu dohyo, so maybe that was the reason for the gift (too bad the basho didn't happen). Apologies for the confusion.

Kimura Zennosuke also received a gunbai to mark his Juryo promotion a couple of years ago, in his case it was a gift from his debut year contemporaries (平成六年同期一同).

When not in use, a senior gyoji will keep his precious gunbai in their own special box, painted in the same style as an akeni. This is the lid of the box belonging to Kimura Yodo.

And in this picture, a young tsukebito carefully packs away one of Shikimori Inosuke's gunbai.

Younger gyoji in the first few years of their career will often use a gunbai belonging to their heya, or from a heya in the same ichimon. Many of them feature words or phrases of encouragement or self-discipline, here are some examples of that.
 

Spoiler

Kimura Narimasa's gunbai features the word 努力 (doryoku - endeavour, great effort). I think that one was previously used by Kasugano-beya's Kimura Zennosuke, as it bears his earlier name of Kimura Shoji on the other side. Irumagawa-oyakata (former Sekiwake Tochitsukasa) was a member of Kasugano-beya in his active days, and the heya are both in Dewanoumi ichimon.

Shikimori Kainosuke's gunbai features the phrase 百戦錬磨 (hyakusenrenma). Essentially it refers to someone gaining a lot of experience through adversity (or many battles).

Kimura Takanosuke's gunbai features the rather esoteric phrase 磨穿鉄硯 (masen tekken, which effectively means perseverance).

Shikimori Seiichiro's gunbai features the character 道 (do, as in Sumo-do or Bushido).

Shikimori Tatsunosuke's gunbai features the character 気 (ki, spirit).

Kimura Soichiro's gunbai features the character 忍 (nin, endurance). I can't make head or tails of the other character on there.

And finally, Kintamayama should keep an eye out for any future Tamawashi-Arawashi bouts officiated by Kimura Motoki, who might use this gunbai...

 

 

Edited June 14, 2018 by Yubinhaad

[Akinomaki 40,774]

Time without jungyo (= in February and June) is the time for training also of the young gyoji - not how to make proper announcements at the jungyo, but how to write sumo-ji

o

Instructor was Kimura Yukihiro

o

First single kanji, common in shikona, like 山 yama/san/zan mountain, 川 kawa river, 海 umi/kai sea, 花 hana flower, 錦 nishiki brocade

o

then full shikona

o

and finally writing both opponents for a torikumi announcement - Kimura Kintaro, Kimura Masatoshi

o o

 

and young yobidashi individually have taiko training - newest yobidashi Kenta from Naruto-beya

o

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

Sumo Gyoji Kimura Konosuke's introduction video.

[Kintamayama 45,524]

This is why I like him:　（Photo-Yohei Morimoto, a Morimoto photo..))

[Akinomaki 40,774]

We might also need an extra "gyoji incompetence" thread  - preferable combined with shimpan incompetence - meanwhile I follow suggestions in the original thread to continue the discussion here - though I simply 100% agree with RabidJohn.

On 30/11/2018 at 09:37, RabidJohn said:

Which makes it all the more mystifying why the NSK has promoted this incompetent, Shikimori Kandayu, to tate-gyoji for January! Maybe they've done it so they can sack him for incompetence before March...

11 hours ago, RabidJohn said:

On 30/11/2018 at 10:59, Doitsuyama said:

The gyoji wasn't all that bad.

Doing the job right at the third attempt is hardly the standard expected of a tate-gyoji.

He missed the head shimpan's raised hand calling the first matta (FWIW, I saw it straight away).

The reason I didn't split it to a new thread is that I wanted to post this news in here

Not only Takakeisho, also Shikimori Kandayu yesterday visited his old primary school, in Maniwa-city - to get admired, though not for that performance above. Local Okayama NHK had a news clip. Kandayu loved sumo since childhood and headed for Tokyo after middle school graduation to become gyoji. The kids got rikishi tegata and banzuke as presents.

vid

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqzceaxAK9H/

Edited December 1, 2018 by Akinomaki

[Yubinhaad 11,761]

Shikimori Kiichiro will receive a spectacular new gunbai to mark his Makuuchi promotion on the latest banzuke, a Wajima-nuri lacquer with a golden dragon on one side, and a depiction of Akafuji (when Mount Fuji appears red in early morning sunlight) on the other. The gunbai is a gift from Endo's hometown koenkai (both are in Oitekaze-beya) and cost around 1 million yen. It will be presented to Kiichiro at the heya on January 10th.

Hopefully some better pictures to come at that time, but for now the gunbai is held by Mayor Nobuo Ishikawa of Anamizu, who heads the koenkai.

NHK video on this page.

[Akinomaki 40,774]

13 hours ago, Yubinhaad said:

Shikimori Kiichiro will receive a spectacular new gunbai to mark his Makuuchi promotion on the latest banzuke, a Wajima-nuri lacquer with a golden dragon on one side, and a depiction of Akafuji (when Mount Fuji appears red in early morning sunlight) on the other. The gunbai is a gift from Endo's hometown koenkai (both are in Oitekaze-beya) and cost around 1 million yen. It will be presented to Kiichiro at the heya on January 10th.

Hopefully some better pictures to come at that time, but for now the gunbai is held by Mayor Nobuo Ishikawa of Anamizu, who heads the koenkai.

  o

[orandashoho 720]

Spectacular indeed.

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

 

[Yubinhaad 11,761]

Hakkeyoi x 42  

 

 

[Gurowake 4,104]

I guess for promotion to Makuuchi-level gyoji it's not too out of line to spend that kind of money on a item that will get years of use, but still, one million yen for a small wood fan seems ludicrous.  Obviously a lot of work went into making it look amazing, but it blows my mind that people would spend that kind of money on things like that.  I guess that's what the koenkai are for; people with too much money wanting to spend it on pet projects.

[Yubinhaad 11,761]

I've made an update to the original post, reflecting the promotions which took place with the latest banzuke. There are also new pictures for the three gyoji who received major promotions, new entries for the last two newcomers who hadn't been added until now, and four removals of gyoji who retired since the last update.

The new pictures are for 41st Shikimori Inosuke, Kimura Konosuke, Shikimori Kiichiro, Kimura Ryunosuke and Kimura Shunta.

- - - -

 

And if you want to save them, the removed pictures are 40th Shikimori Inosuke, Kimura Toyohiko, Kimura Masatoshi and Kimura Soichiro.

- - -

 

A newly-promoted Ozeki or Yokozuna will often give a new costume as a gift to gyoji in his heya or ichimon. This basho gifts from Takayasu were worn by Shikimori Inosuke, Kimura Mitsunosuke and Kimura Kichijiro, who all belong to heya in the same Nishonoseki ichimon.
 

Spoiler

 

Similarly, at least three gyoji have received gifts from Tochinoshin, but with a different approach - instead of his shikona, the flag of Georgia features in the design. Kimura Shotaro, Kimura Akijiro (both Kasugano-beya) and Kimura Chishu (Dewanoumi) wore these costumes in the Hatsu basho.
 

Spoiler

 

 

On ‎26‎/‎12‎/‎2018 at 20:42, Yubinhaad said:

Shikimori Kiichiro will receive a spectacular new gunbai to mark his Makuuchi promotion on the latest banzuke, a Wajima-nuri lacquer with a golden dragon on one side, and a depiction of Akafuji (when Mount Fuji appears red in early morning sunlight) on the other.

 

And finally, Shikimori Kiichiro used the new gunbai during the Hatsu basho.
 

[Akinomaki 40,774]

As always in February (also in June), it was time for the young gyoji to train sumo-ji writing

o o

from basic parts like -yama

o

up to full shikona of sanyaku rikishi - Tochinoshin, Tamawashi, Mitakeumi

o

Edited February 24, 2019 by Akinomaki

[Akōgyokuseki 228]

Shikimori Inosuke will have his official shuumei (襲名) when the jungyo visits Izumo, Shimane prefecture on 24th October this year, the first time in 3 years it's done so.

http://www.sanin-chuo.co.jp/www/contents/1553651169688/

[Akinomaki 40,774]

On 24/02/2019 at 13:30, Akinomaki said:

As always in February (also in June), it was time for the young gyoji to train sumo-ji writing

It was the time for gyoji training again - first the simple main frequent kanji, then full shikona

o o

and finally the kaobure: the 2 rikishi who meet in an upcoming bout  - Inosuke presents them after the makuuchi dohyo-iri - sd-kaku Kimura Kintaro and Kimura Sakuranosuke write:

o o

[Akinomaki 40,774]

On 11/06/2019 at 21:52, Akinomaki said:

It was the time for gyoji training again

The NSK after  the tokoyama training now also posted a video of the gyoji training https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UCy10NHAQ8

[Yamanashi 3,903]

4 hours ago, Akinomaki said:

The NSK after  the tokoyama training now also posted a video of the gyoji training https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UCy10NHAQ8

The main role of the gyoji is to referee bouts.  If they are like referees in other sports, they must get trained in the rules of the sport, footwork and sight lines on the dohyo, match maintenance, etc.  But all I ever see on the videos is gyoji painting fat kanji on paper!

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

 

[Akinomaki 40,774]

Interesting talk about the gyoji attire and sumo by the president of the Japanese style fashion company Wasoukan - they post versions with English sub-head-titles

Edit: I had hoped for more detailed sub-titles of the whole talk, because the pure version was quite complicated to understand, but they only give the easy to understand parts in English

Edited May 25, 2020 by Akinomaki

[Saburo 18]

Apologies in advance if this has already been discussed in another thread but this has in on my mind for many, MANY basho (years?) and I need to know that I'm not alone.

The sanyaku-kaku gyoji Kimura Tamajiro has a call (kakegoe) that sounds *exactly* the same as an old Kimura Shonosuke from the late 1970s-early 1990s. I've been in and out of sumo since the 1970s but all the gyoji I saw in TV had distinct dohyo voices -- the tate gyoji in particular.

Is Tamajiro related to an old sempai gyoji and/or allowed to mimic a call. I swear, his stance when the rikishi are at jikan ippai is the same as the old Shonosuke as well! Amirite?!!