Ranking - Banzuke

A list of names of sumo wrestlers, kabuki performers, and other performers, listed according to rank or order. It can also refer to a program in which sumo and performing arts are paired together, but for sumo, it is mainly distinguished from a single-rank ranking and a program with a match list, while for Noh, kabuki, and vaudeville performances, it often refers to the programs. For example, shibai banzuke refers to kabuki programs. In general slang, "the rankings are different" means "the ranks are different" or "the dignity is different."

Sumo rankings originated from the Heian period's tugaibumi (kyomyobo) and consisted only of what we would call today's programs. At the time, the highest rank was hote, and the next highest was waki (armpit, assistant), and in the Edo period they became known as ōzeki and sekiwake. After Edo sumo first published a sumo ranking printed on a single vertical woodblock in 1757 (the 7th year of the Horeki era), it became fashionable to copy this ranking and publish rankings for everything, and these rankings were published until around the Meiji period. These were called "variable rankings," and rankings were made for the size of mountains, rivers, bridges, and so on throughout the country. They also covered a wide range of subjects, including scholars, martial artists, local products, famous places and historical sites, tales of revenge, popular phrases, and comparative rankings of good and bad wives, and they played an encyclopedic role in developing knowledge and spreading education. Nowadays, there are rankings for fishing results, bonsai-related rankings, heavy drinkers rankings, and local accent rankings, but these are for a single region or group, and are not published nationwide like in the Edo period.

The style of calligraphy for sumo rankings was called Negishi-ryu because it was written by the head clerk of the Negishi family, the publisher who held the rights to issue the rankings for a long time, and the current style was established around the end of the Edo period. Today, referees have inherited the Negishi-ryu style and write in a particularly thick style called "sumo characters." The style of calligraphy for signs and programs for kabuki and vaudeville performances was called "Kanteiryu" because it was started by Kantei around the Tenpo era (1830-1844). It is a common mistake to refer to sumo characters as Kanteiryu.

Furthermore, there has long been a belief in sumo rankings that they ward off disasters and bring good health, and there is a custom of posting them at the entrance or foyer of a home.

[Masao Ikeda]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

相撲(すもう)、歌舞伎(かぶき)、演芸などの人名を階級か順序に従って記した一覧表。または相撲、演芸の組合せを表にした番組のこともいうが、相撲は主として一枚番付と取組表の番組とは区別しており、能、歌舞伎、寄席(よせ)演芸は番組をさしていう場合が多い。たとえば、芝居番付といえば歌舞伎の番組をいう。一般の俗語として「番付が違う」といえば「階級が違う」「貫禄(かんろく)が違う」という意味になる。

　相撲番付は平安朝の番文(つがいぶみ)（交名簿(きょうみょうぼ)）が起源で、いまいう番組だけであった。当時の最高位の最手(ほて)、次位の脇(わき)（腋、助手(すけて)）が、江戸時代になって大関、関脇の名称になった。1757年（宝暦7）に江戸相撲が初めて縦一枚木版刷りの相撲番付を発行してから、この番付をまねてあらゆるものに階級・順序をつけた番付を発行することが流行し、明治のころまで版行されていた。これを「変り番付」といって、全国の山、川、橋の大きさなどの番付を作製、また、学者、武芸者、各地の物産、名所古跡、仇討(あだうち)物語、流行語、悪妻良妻の比較番付など、あらゆる分野にわたっており、知識を開発する百科事典式な役目と教育普及指導の役割を果たしていた。現在では、釣果(ちょうか)番付、盆栽関係の番付、酒豪番付、俚訛(りか)番付などがあるが、一地方かグループによる番付で、江戸時代のように全国的には発行されていない。

　相撲番付の書体は、長く番付発行権をもっていた版元の根岸家の番頭が書いていたので根岸流といい、現在の書体は幕末のころ確立した。いまは行司が根岸流を受け継いで、「相撲字」といわれる特別に筆太な書体で書いている。歌舞伎や寄席演芸の看板や番組に書く書体は、天保(てんぽう)（1830～44）のころから勘亭が書き始めたので「勘亭流」といわれた。よく一般に相撲字を勘亭流というのは誤りである。

　なお相撲番付には、昔から災難除(よ)け・無病息災の信仰があって、家の入口や玄関に張り出す風習がある。

［池田雅雄］

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