The banzuke — sumo's ladder of rank

How the banzuke works

The banzuke is published approximately two weeks before each of the six annual tournaments. It lists every professional wrestler in order of rank, from the Yokozuna at the very top to the lowest-ranked newcomer at the base. It is printed in a distinctive calligraphic style that has changed very little in over two hundred years — the brushwork is deliberately difficult to read for the uninitiated, a reflection of the banzuke's status as a specialist document for an insider audience.

Rank on the banzuke is determined entirely by performance in previous tournaments. Win more than you lose — achieve kachi-koshi — and you rise. Lose more than you win — make-koshi — and you fall. There are no shortcuts, no wild cards, and no exceptions. A wrestler who misses a tournament due to injury receives losses for every day he is absent, which can accelerate his descent through the rankings significantly.

The six divisions

Professional sumo is organized into six divisions. The top two — Makuuchi and Juryo — are the professional paid divisions, where wrestlers receive a salary. The four lower divisions — Makushita, Sandanme, Jonidan, and Jonokuchi — are considered amateur in terms of pay, though all participants are full members of the JSA and live and train in beya.

The sanyaku ranks — sumo's elite

Within Makuuchi, the top four rank levels — Yokozuna, Ozeki, Sekiwake, and Komusubi — carry specific obligations and privileges that distinguish them from the Maegashira ranks below. These wrestlers are referred to collectively as sanyaku (literally "three roles," though there are four levels).

Yokozuna — 横綱

The highest rank in sumo, and one of the most demanding titles in all of sport. There is no fixed number of Yokozuna — the rank is held by however many wrestlers have earned it, though there is often only one or two active at any time. Critically, a Yokozuna cannot be demoted. If a Yokozuna's performance declines significantly, they are expected to retire voluntarily. The rope ceremony — the tsuna — is unique to Yokozuna: they wear a thick white rope belt during their solo ring-entering ceremony, which is one of the most visually distinctive moments in sumo.

Ozeki — 大関

The second rank and the highest that can be achieved by performance alone without the subjective assessment that accompanies Yokozuna promotion. An Ozeki who achieves make-koshi in two consecutive tournaments is demoted — a significant penalty that keeps the rank competitive. The threshold for Ozeki promotion is generally considered to be approximately 33 wins across three consecutive tournaments at the upper Maegashira or sanyaku level, though the JSA does not publish a fixed standard.

Sekiwake and Komusubi — 関脇 · 小結

The third and fourth ranks. These positions carry prestige and higher pay than Maegashira, but are relatively fluid — a wrestler can rise to Sekiwake one tournament and drop back to upper Maegashira the next. The number of Sekiwake and Komusubi wrestlers can vary slightly from tournament to tournament depending on performance.

Maegashira — 前頭

The rank-and-file of the top division. Maegashira wrestlers are numbered from 1 (highest, closest to sanyaku) downward to approximately 17 or 18 at the base of the division. The upper Maegashira ranks — roughly M1 through M8, alongside all sanyaku wrestlers — form the joi (上位, the upper reaches), the group who receive the toughest scheduling and will face yokozuna and ozeki during the tournament. The exact joi boundary shifts slightly each basho depending on the size of the sanyaku that tournament. Wrestlers at the bottom of Maegashira face a comparatively lighter schedule but must still achieve kachi-koshi to hold their position.