fbpx
Wikipedia

Yobidashi

September 06, 2023

A yobidashi (呼出 or 呼び出し, lit. 'call'), often translated in English as "usher"[1] or "ring announcer",[2] is a handyman employed by the Japan Sumo Association, responsible for various tasks essential to the traditional running of professional sumo tournaments (honbasho) in Japan.

Nicknamed "sumo's workhorses" by former sekiwake Takamiyama,[3] yobidashi manage tasks notably involving building the dohyō (wrestling ring) or calling wrestlers, or rikishi, to the ring when it's their turn to fight.

Career and ranking Edit

 
Hideo, tate-yobidashi at the May 2008 tournament

The maximum number of yobidashi allowed in the Sumo Association is 45.[4] As of April 2023, there are 45 yobidashi within the Sumo Association.[1]
Like gyōji, new yobidashi recruits can only begin their career under the age of 19 and must have completed compulsory education.[4] Most of them enter at 15[5] and it's not uncommon for most of the newcomers to be amateur wrestlers who haven't managed to break through but are keen to stay in the world of sumo, which fascinates them.[5][2] They then work up a career ladder roughly based on the ranking system for wrestlers, as described, until their retirement at 65.[6] The current ranking system was created in July 1993 and consists of the following nine ranks:[4]

  • tate-yobidashi (立呼出)
  • fuku-tate-yobidashi (副立呼出)
  • san'yaku-yobidashi (三役呼出)
  • makuuchi-yobidashi (幕内呼出)
  • jūryō-yobidashi (十両呼出)
  • makushita-yobidashi (幕下呼出)
  • sandanme-yobidashi (三段目呼出)
  • jonidan-yobidashi (序二段呼出)
  • jonokuchi-yobidashi (序ノ口呼出)

Promotion through these ranks is based primarily on experience, although ability is also taken into account, particularly in promotions to the top ranks. Junior yobidashi however undergo six months of theoretical training in one of the Kokugikan's training rooms under the tutelage of their seniors.[5] It takes around 15 years for a yobidashi to be promoted from the bottom of the hierarchy to the rank of jūryō-yobidashi. The makuuchi-yobidashi are promoted only after 30 years of service.[4] Tate-yobidashi are not generally promoted until they have 45 to 50 years of experience.[2] Most of these ranks clearly follow those for the ranking of rikishi, or wrestlers, with the exception of the tate and fuku-tate ranks, which stand for chief and deputy chief, respectively. This system is identical to that applied for gyōji. Prior to July 1993, yobidashi were simply ranked first-class, second-class and so on. While a tate-yobidashi earns between 360,000 and 400,000 yen (~$2513/€2313), the average Japanese salary for a salaryman, a young apprentice earns just 14,000 yen (~$97/€89) a month.[2] In the same way that low-ranking wrestlers are deprived of certain freedoms, junior yobidashi are also forbidden to live anywhere other than in their stable and are not allowed to marry while sekitori-ranked yobidashi are allowed these liberties and have a tsukebito assigned to them.[5] The tasks that are undue to a yobidashi depend on his rank, although all yobidashi are versatile, with the highest ranks appearing at the end of the day and performing tasks that put them in the public eye.[5]

As of October 2019 the tate-yobidashi position is vacant after the incumbent, Takuro, from Kasugano stable, was suspended for two tournaments and announced his retirement for hitting a junior yobidashi over the head after he caught him eating in the customer seating area on jungyō.[7]

Responsibilities Edit

 
After a tournament day is over, the yobidashi cover the dohyō

In keeping with their workman outfits, the yobidashi are actually the Japan Sumo Association's handymen, or odd-job men, and have a wide variety of tasks. Theses begin before the official opening of the tournaments (honbasho) with the construction of the dohyō (sumo ring). Construction begins five days before the first day of the tournament (shonichi). 40 tonnes of a special clay called Arakida[5] collected in the town of Kawagoe (Saitama Prefecture) are needed for its construction and the yobidashi use small trucks to transport the materials.[4] As well as building the ring, the yobidashi are also responsible for building the tsuriyane (the suspended roof above the dohyō). Supervision of the construction does not necessarily fall to the tate-yobidashi. Depending on their skills, a san'yaku-yobidashi may also supervise the construction of the ring.[4] During jungyō (tours), not all yobidashi are present, and it's not uncommon for local volunteers to help with dohyō construction.[8]

During the tournament, yobidashi are by far the busiest workers, staying for the whole of the fighting days, staying on site from 7.30am to 6pm.[2] The yobidashi's most emblematic task is to call the wrestlers into the ring for their match of the day. Dressed traditionally and holding a simple white fan, they call the wrestlers by their shikona, or ring-name, in a melodious way. The use of a fan was originally intended to prevent droplets of saliva from soiling the sacred surface of the dohyō. Because of the large number of wrestlers in the divisions, the yobidashi who enter the ring are notoriously using cheat sheets so as not to make any mistakes in public.[2] On even-numbered days, the call is made from the east, then the west, and on odd-numbered days the call is made in the other way round.[4]

 
The kenshō banners before a match

Another recognisable task of the yobidashi is parading the kenshō (advertising) banners around the ring before particular match-ups between popular wrestlers, which are often sponsored by companies. The yobidashi are responsible for banging the taiko drum at different times of the day. Originally, these different times were used to convey different messages to spectators outside the arena. The first drum sound is the ichiban-daiko (一番太鼓), played during the 15 days of the tournaments, for 30 minutes from 8am to announce the opening of a day of matches. At the end of the day, immediately after the yumitori-shiki (bow-twirling) ceremony, the hane-daiko (跳ね太鼓) is played to invite spectators leaving the arena to disperse.[4] High-ranking yobidashi finally accompany sekitori-ranked wrestlers in their dohyō-iri ring-entering ceremonies by sounding their hyōshigi, an instrument consisting of two pieces of cherry wood tied together with a cord.[5]
Other tasks on match days include: sweeping the ring, providing purification salt, handing towels to wrestlers, displaying banners showing that a match has been decided by default (usually due to a competitor's withdrawal), or subject to a rematch after the next two bouts, and ensuring that, during a bout, no wrestler injures himself on the bucket of chikara-mizu (power water) situated at each east and west side of the ring.[8] Junior yobidashi also help senior gyōji during the kaobure gonjō ceremony.[9] Less publicly, yobidashi also take care of many small requests made by the Sumo Association executives on judging duty or guard duty in the corridors, such as fetching drinks or cigarettes.[2]

Nevertheless, the responsibility for yobidashi is not simply confined to tournament days. As yobidashi, like wrestlers, belong to the stables, they are also entrusted with tasks by their stablemasters, such as running errands or keeping track of wrestlers' progress during training sessions.[6] When a stable's keikoba (training area) needs rebuilding, yobidashi from the same ichimon (clan) to which the stable belongs take charge of the construction.[5]

It is also traditional for yobidashi to write folk songs, called jinku, based on sumo life.

Ring names Edit

Yobidashi take a single name as their ring name, unlike both the wrestlers (rikishi) and gyōji who have both a surname and given name.[2] This may be related to the practice of the Edo period in Japan whereby only samurai class persons could hold a surname. The wrestlers (involved in a martial activity) and gyōji (who were lettered) could be construed as having positions consistent with a samurai status, while the yobidashi did not. As in most traditional Japanese activities, the professional name of the yobidashi is sometimes derived from the name of the master who taught them, borrowing a kanji from the master's name.[5]

As from July 1993 the upper ranked yobidashi also had their names included on the banzuke, the ranking sheet produced prior to each honbasho.[4] Apart from a brief period previously, only the gyōji had traditionally been included on the banzuke in addition to the wrestlers and their training stablemasters, or oyakata, again indicating the difference in status of the two jobs.

 
Traditional outfit of a yobidashi.

Uniform Edit

The outfit worn by the yobidashi is loosely based on an old style Japanese workman's outfit, with tatsuki-hakama (裁着袴), working trousers, and tabi socks.[10] The kimono worn by the yobidashi often displays sponsors' names in black characters.[6] As there are currently eight main sponsors of the Sumo Association,[11] each yobidashi has eight different kimono which he wears during all 15 days of each basho. The costume is the same for senior and junior ranked yobidashi and only the kimono worn on the torso varies in color and the names on the back. Yobidashi often decide on the colours and designs within an ichimon, but the kimono are usually given by sponsors. Hakama on the other hand are presented by rikishi who have been promoted to ōzeki or yokozuna as a commemorative gift and the shikona, or ring name, of the said wrestler can be seen at top of the back of the hakama.[5]

See also Edit

Sources Edit

References Edit

  1. ^ a b "Yobidashi (Ushers) List". Japan Sumo Association. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Gunning, John (29 August 2018). "Unsung yobidashi keep sumo running smoothly". The Japan Times. from the original on 29 August 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  3. ^ Kuhaulua, Jesse. Takamiyama: the world of sumo (PDF). ISBN 0870111957. Retrieved 23 June 2023. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Koichi Kitade (17 November 2019). "Special feature: All about sumo yobidashi". NHK (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Hotta, Harumi. "Several questions to a yobidashi: KOKICHI (Kiriyama beya)". Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Gunning, John (23 May 2019). "Sumo 101: Yobidashi (ring announcers)". The Japan Times. from the original on 23 May 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  7. ^ . Jiji Press Agency (in Japanese). 25 October 2019. Archived from the original on 17 September 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Behind the Scenes of Japan's National Sport, Sumo Wrestling: The Amazing Behind-the-Scenes Craftsmanship!". Tokyo Kenzai Magazine (in Japanese). 9 January 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  9. ^ Gunning, John (13 September 2019). "Sumo 101: Kaobure". The Japan Times. from the original on 18 September 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  10. ^ "[Sumo] Yobidashi Here and There: Job Description, How to Become a Yobidashi, Meaning of the White Fan, and More!". Dosukoi Sports Magazine (in Japanese). 23 January 2020. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  11. ^ "Meet our official partners" (in Japanese). Japan Sumo Association. Retrieved 23 June 2023.

Further reading Edit

  • David Shapiro (13 December 2013). Sumo: A Pocket Guide. Tuttle Publishing. pp. 47–. ISBN 978-1-4629-0484-6.
  • Patricia Lee Cuyler (1979). Sumo : from rite to sport. New York: Weatherhill. pp. 216–. ISBN 9780834801455.
  • Atsuo Tsubota. "Sumo Tournament Handbook, Call-outs, Touches, Call-outs, In-ring Broadcasts" (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 June 2023. (article on a day of matches)

External links Edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Yobidashi.
  • List of current yobidashi at Japan Sumo Association homepage
  • Video on YouTube - Sumo Prime Time yobidashi episode

September 06, 2023
yobidashi, yobidashi, 呼出, 呼び出し, call, often, translated, english, usher, ring, announcer, handyman, employed, japan, sumo, association, responsible, various, tasks, essential, traditional, running, professional, sumo, tournaments, honbasho, japan, nicknamed, s. A yobidashi 呼出 or 呼び出し lit call often translated in English as usher 1 or ring announcer 2 is a handyman employed by the Japan Sumo Association responsible for various tasks essential to the traditional running of professional sumo tournaments honbasho in Japan Nicknamed sumo s workhorses by former sekiwake Takamiyama 3 yobidashi manage tasks notably involving building the dohyō wrestling ring or calling wrestlers or rikishi to the ring when it s their turn to fight Contents 1 Career and ranking 2 Responsibilities 3 Ring names 4 Uniform 5 See also 6 Sources 6 1 References 6 2 Further reading 7 External linksCareer and ranking Edit nbsp Hideo tate yobidashi at the May 2008 tournamentThe maximum number of yobidashi allowed in the Sumo Association is 45 4 As of April 2023 there are 45 yobidashi within the Sumo Association 1 Like gyōji new yobidashi recruits can only begin their career under the age of 19 and must have completed compulsory education 4 Most of them enter at 15 5 and it s not uncommon for most of the newcomers to be amateur wrestlers who haven t managed to break through but are keen to stay in the world of sumo which fascinates them 5 2 They then work up a career ladder roughly based on the ranking system for wrestlers as described until their retirement at 65 6 The current ranking system was created in July 1993 and consists of the following nine ranks 4 tate yobidashi 立呼出 fuku tate yobidashi 副立呼出 san yaku yobidashi 三役呼出 makuuchi yobidashi 幕内呼出 juryō yobidashi 十両呼出 makushita yobidashi 幕下呼出 sandanme yobidashi 三段目呼出 jonidan yobidashi 序二段呼出 jonokuchi yobidashi 序ノ口呼出 Promotion through these ranks is based primarily on experience although ability is also taken into account particularly in promotions to the top ranks Junior yobidashi however undergo six months of theoretical training in one of the Kokugikan s training rooms under the tutelage of their seniors 5 It takes around 15 years for a yobidashi to be promoted from the bottom of the hierarchy to the rank of juryō yobidashi The makuuchi yobidashi are promoted only after 30 years of service 4 Tate yobidashi are not generally promoted until they have 45 to 50 years of experience 2 Most of these ranks clearly follow those for the ranking of rikishi or wrestlers with the exception of the tate and fuku tate ranks which stand for chief and deputy chief respectively This system is identical to that applied for gyōji Prior to July 1993 yobidashi were simply ranked first class second class and so on While a tate yobidashi earns between 360 000 and 400 000 yen 2513 2313 the average Japanese salary for a salaryman a young apprentice earns just 14 000 yen 97 89 a month 2 In the same way that low ranking wrestlers are deprived of certain freedoms junior yobidashi are also forbidden to live anywhere other than in their stable and are not allowed to marry while sekitori ranked yobidashi are allowed these liberties and have a tsukebito assigned to them 5 The tasks that are undue to a yobidashi depend on his rank although all yobidashi are versatile with the highest ranks appearing at the end of the day and performing tasks that put them in the public eye 5 As of October 2019 the tate yobidashi position is vacant after the incumbent Takuro from Kasugano stable was suspended for two tournaments and announced his retirement for hitting a junior yobidashi over the head after he caught him eating in the customer seating area on jungyō 7 Responsibilities Edit nbsp After a tournament day is over the yobidashi cover the dohyōIn keeping with their workman outfits the yobidashi are actually the Japan Sumo Association s handymen or odd job men and have a wide variety of tasks Theses begin before the official opening of the tournaments honbasho with the construction of the dohyō sumo ring Construction begins five days before the first day of the tournament shonichi 40 tonnes of a special clay called Arakida 5 collected in the town of Kawagoe Saitama Prefecture are needed for its construction and the yobidashi use small trucks to transport the materials 4 As well as building the ring the yobidashi are also responsible for building the tsuriyane the suspended roof above the dohyō Supervision of the construction does not necessarily fall to the tate yobidashi Depending on their skills a san yaku yobidashi may also supervise the construction of the ring 4 During jungyō tours not all yobidashi are present and it s not uncommon for local volunteers to help with dohyō construction 8 During the tournament yobidashi are by far the busiest workers staying for the whole of the fighting days staying on site from 7 30am to 6pm 2 The yobidashi s most emblematic task is to call the wrestlers into the ring for their match of the day Dressed traditionally and holding a simple white fan they call the wrestlers by their shikona or ring name in a melodious way The use of a fan was originally intended to prevent droplets of saliva from soiling the sacred surface of the dohyō Because of the large number of wrestlers in the divisions the yobidashi who enter the ring are notoriously using cheat sheets so as not to make any mistakes in public 2 On even numbered days the call is made from the east then the west and on odd numbered days the call is made in the other way round 4 nbsp The kenshō banners before a matchAnother recognisable task of the yobidashi is parading the kenshō advertising banners around the ring before particular match ups between popular wrestlers which are often sponsored by companies The yobidashi are responsible for banging the taiko drum at different times of the day Originally these different times were used to convey different messages to spectators outside the arena The first drum sound is the ichiban daiko 一番太鼓 played during the 15 days of the tournaments for 30 minutes from 8am to announce the opening of a day of matches At the end of the day immediately after the yumitori shiki bow twirling ceremony the hane daiko 跳ね太鼓 is played to invite spectators leaving the arena to disperse 4 High ranking yobidashi finally accompany sekitori ranked wrestlers in their dohyō iri ring entering ceremonies by sounding their hyōshigi an instrument consisting of two pieces of cherry wood tied together with a cord 5 Other tasks on match days include sweeping the ring providing purification salt handing towels to wrestlers displaying banners showing that a match has been decided by default usually due to a competitor s withdrawal or subject to a rematch after the next two bouts and ensuring that during a bout no wrestler injures himself on the bucket of chikara mizu power water situated at each east and west side of the ring 8 Junior yobidashi also help senior gyōji during the kaobure gonjō ceremony 9 Less publicly yobidashi also take care of many small requests made by the Sumo Association executives on judging duty or guard duty in the corridors such as fetching drinks or cigarettes 2 Nevertheless the responsibility for yobidashi is not simply confined to tournament days As yobidashi like wrestlers belong to the stables they are also entrusted with tasks by their stablemasters such as running errands or keeping track of wrestlers progress during training sessions 6 When a stable s keikoba training area needs rebuilding yobidashi from the same ichimon clan to which the stable belongs take charge of the construction 5 It is also traditional for yobidashi to write folk songs called jinku based on sumo life Ring names EditYobidashi take a single name as their ring name unlike both the wrestlers rikishi and gyōji who have both a surname and given name 2 This may be related to the practice of the Edo period in Japan whereby only samurai class persons could hold a surname The wrestlers involved in a martial activity and gyōji who were lettered could be construed as having positions consistent with a samurai status while the yobidashi did not As in most traditional Japanese activities the professional name of the yobidashi is sometimes derived from the name of the master who taught them borrowing a kanji from the master s name 5 As from July 1993 the upper ranked yobidashi also had their names included on the banzuke the ranking sheet produced prior to each honbasho 4 Apart from a brief period previously only the gyōji had traditionally been included on the banzuke in addition to the wrestlers and their training stablemasters or oyakata again indicating the difference in status of the two jobs nbsp Traditional outfit of a yobidashi Uniform EditThe outfit worn by the yobidashi is loosely based on an old style Japanese workman s outfit with tatsuki hakama 裁着袴 working trousers and tabi socks 10 The kimono worn by the yobidashi often displays sponsors names in black characters 6 As there are currently eight main sponsors of the Sumo Association 11 each yobidashi has eight different kimono which he wears during all 15 days of each basho The costume is the same for senior and junior ranked yobidashi and only the kimono worn on the torso varies in color and the names on the back Yobidashi often decide on the colours and designs within an ichimon but the kimono are usually given by sponsors Hakama on the other hand are presented by rikishi who have been promoted to ōzeki or yokozuna as a commemorative gift and the shikona or ring name of the said wrestler can be seen at top of the back of the hakama 5 See also EditList of sumo stables Heya sumo stable Other personnel of the Japan Sumo AssociationSources EditReferences Edit a b Yobidashi Ushers List Japan Sumo Association Retrieved 30 April 2023 a b c d e f g h Gunning John 29 August 2018 Unsung yobidashi keep sumo running smoothly The Japan Times Archived from the original on 29 August 2018 Retrieved 23 June 2023 Kuhaulua Jesse Takamiyama the world of sumo PDF ISBN 0870111957 Retrieved 23 June 2023 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a work ignored help a b c d e f g h i Koichi Kitade 17 November 2019 Special feature All about sumo yobidashi NHK in Japanese Retrieved 23 June 2023 a b c d e f g h i j Hotta Harumi Several questions to a yobidashi KOKICHI Kiriyama beya Retrieved 23 June 2023 a b c Gunning John 23 May 2019 Sumo 101 Yobidashi ring announcers The Japan Times Archived from the original on 23 May 2019 Retrieved 23 May 2019 Tate yobidashi suspended for 2 tournaments Violence issue resignation accepted Grand Sumo Jiji Press Agency in Japanese 25 October 2019 Archived from the original on 17 September 2020 a b Behind the Scenes of Japan s National Sport Sumo Wrestling The Amazing Behind the Scenes Craftsmanship Tokyo Kenzai Magazine in Japanese 9 January 2015 Retrieved 23 June 2023 Gunning John 13 September 2019 Sumo 101 Kaobure The Japan Times Archived from the original on 18 September 2019 Retrieved 23 June 2023 Sumo Yobidashi Here and There Job Description How to Become a Yobidashi Meaning of the White Fan and More Dosukoi Sports Magazine in Japanese 23 January 2020 Retrieved 23 June 2023 Meet our official partners in Japanese Japan Sumo Association Retrieved 23 June 2023 Further reading Edit David Shapiro 13 December 2013 Sumo A Pocket Guide Tuttle Publishing pp 47 ISBN 978 1 4629 0484 6 Patricia Lee Cuyler 1979 Sumo from rite to sport New York Weatherhill pp 216 ISBN 9780834801455 Atsuo Tsubota Sumo Tournament Handbook Call outs Touches Call outs In ring Broadcasts in Japanese Retrieved 23 June 2023 article on a day of matches External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Yobidashi List of current yobidashi at Japan Sumo Association homepage Video on YouTube Sumo Prime Time yobidashi episode Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Yobidashi amp oldid 1169694802, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.