Referee - Gyōji

The role of the shogi master is to guide the wrestlers in a fair match, to adjudicate the outcome, to give the winning wrestler a military fan, and to give him a victory name. In professional sumo, the shogi master wears a black hat and a straight coat and carries a military fan.

In the Heian period, there was no referee at the Sumo no Sechie, an important Imperial Court ceremony, and only two referees, called Tachiawase, accompanied the wrestlers on each side. When Oda Nobunaga held a sumo tournament in 1570 (Genki 1), a referee-like tachiai appeared for the first time, and the name was originally written as Gyoji. Later, in the Edo period, kanjin sumo became popular, and in order to prevent the conflicts that were the cause of the shogunate's ban on sumo, referee families for each school were born to teach sumo etiquette (rules) and techniques to sumo groups (professional sumo) in various regions.

During the Tenmei era (1781-89), when Edo sumo became the center of the sumo world and a national organizational system was created, there were several families in Edo, Kyoto, and Osaka. Around this time, Yoshida Oikaze from Kumamoto, backed by the large Hosokawa clan, dominated Edo sumo as the head of a sumo family, while Kyozaka sumo had long been under the umbrella of the Gojo family, a Kyoto sumo family, and each referee received a license from the head of the family to pass on their methods. The Kyozaka referee system died out in 1925 (Taisho 14), and the two Tokyo referee families, Kimura and Shikimori, which have continued since the Edo period, continue to thrive to this day.

Just like the wrestlers, the referees also have ranks, with the highest being Kimura Shonosuke and the next highest being Shikimori Inosuke. Both are called tate-gyoji and are in the ōzeki rank, judging the bouts of ōzeki and yokozuna. Ranks are distinguished by the color of the tassel on their fan and the "kiku-toji" string on their costumes. Shonosuke wears a purple tassel, Inosuke wears purple and white (purple mixed with white), san'yaku-kaku wears red, makuuchi-kaku wears red and white, juryo-kaku wears blue and white, and makushita-kaku and below wear blue or black. San'yaku-kaku and above wear tabi and zori, while tate-gyoji carry a short sword on their waist. Juryo-kaku and makuuchi-kaku can wear tabi, but makushita-kaku and below ranks enter the ring barefoot. Previously, the ranking of gyoji was based on seniority, but since 1972, they have been selected based on their ability to judge the ring, their vocal ability, daily work conditions, etc. The number of gyoji is limited to 45, with a maximum of 20 for those in the juryo rank or above.

[Masao Ikeda]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

力士の公平な立合いを指導し、勝敗の裁定にあたり勝ち力士に軍配をあげ、勝ち名のりを授ける役目。職業相撲(ずもう)では烏帽子直垂(えぼしひたたれ)装束に軍配団扇(うちわ)を所持する。

　平安時代の重要な宮中儀式である「相撲節会(すまいのせちえ)」には行司役はなく「立合(たちあわせ)」という進行係が左右から2人ずつ付き添っただけである。織田信長が1570年（元亀1）相撲大会を催したとき、初めて行司役らしき立合人が出て、当初「行事(ぎょうじ)」と書いた。のち江戸時代に勧進相撲が盛んになり、幕府の相撲禁止令の原因となる争乱を除くため、各地の相撲集団（職業相撲）に相撲作法（規則）と相撲技を伝える各流派の行司家が生まれた。

　江戸相撲が相撲界の中心になって全国的な組織制度をつくった天明(てんめい)年間（1781～89）には、江戸と京都・大坂の数家になった。このころ熊本の吉田追風(おいかぜ)は大藩細川家を後ろ盾に、相撲家元として江戸相撲を支配、京坂相撲は古くから京都の相撲の御家五条家の傘下にあり、それぞれ行司は家元の故実免許を得て作法を伝えた。京坂行司は1925年（大正14）に絶え、江戸時代から続く東京行司家の木村、式守の2家が繁栄して現在に及んでいる。

　行司にも力士と同じように階級があり、最高位は木村庄之助(しょうのすけ)、次位は式守伊之助で、ともに立(たて)行司といい大関格で、大関・横綱の取組みを裁く。階級は、軍配の房(ふさ)と衣装の「菊とじ」という紐(ひも)の色により区別される。庄之助は紫房、伊之助は紫白（紫に白まじり）、三役格は紅、幕内格は紅白、十両格は青白、幕下格以下は青か黒を用いる。三役行司以上は足袋(たび)に草履(ぞうり)を履き、立行司は腰に短刀を帯びる。十両格と幕内格は足袋を履けるが、幕下以下の格は素足で土俵にあがる。年功序列が行司番付編成の原則であったが、1972年（昭和47）から、土俵判定の良否、声量の良否、日常の勤務状況などによって抜擢(ばってき)されることになった。行司定員は45名以内、十両格以上は20名以内と定められている。

［池田雅雄］

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