The sumo referee (gyoji): what he does, and why he carries a dagger
The gyoji is the referee inside the dohyo: he paces the pre-bout ritual, starts the tachiai, and declares the winner by pointing a fan-shaped baton called a gunbai toward the winning side. Like wrestlers, gyoji hold a formal rank, and the two most senior referees wear a short ceremonial dagger at their waist.
What you are seeing
- The gyoji stands at the edge of the dohyo in elaborate silk robes modeled on centuries-old court dress, distinct from the plain clothing of the ring attendants (yobidashi).
- He calls out the shikiri timing and, once both wrestlers are down and still, signals the tachiai.
- At the finish, he points his gunbai toward the winning side immediately - that is his call, before any judges' review.
What to watch next
- Check his footwear and robe: junior gyoji officiate barefoot, while senior ones wear tabi socks and sandals - a visible marker of rank.
- Only the top two ranks, tategyoji, wear a short dagger (tanto) tucked into their sash; it is a traditional symbol of accepting responsibility for the call, not a weapon ever drawn.
- If he hesitates before pointing the gunbai, or the ringside judges stand up, that is often the lead-in to a mono-ii.
A common first-timer mistake
Mixing him up with the yobidashi, the attendants in plain robes who build the dohyo, sweep it between bouts, and call the wrestlers' names. The gyoji is the one in formal dress who makes the call.
Words you may hear
- Gyoji
- the referee who officiates inside the dohyo
- Gunbai
- the fan-shaped baton a gyoji uses to declare the winner
- Tategyoji
- the most senior referee rank, traditionally named Kimura Shonosuke or Shikimori Inosuke
Sources and review
Created and photographed in Ryogoku by a Tokyo-based spectator. Facts reviewed against Japan Sumo Association materials on 25 August 2026.