gyōji

A gyōji (行司; Japanese pronunciation: [ɡʲoːʑi], lit. 'administering things') is a referee employed by the Japan Sumo Association, responsible for a variety of activities which concern the organisation of the sport in general and the refereeing of matches, as well as the preservation of professional sumo culture, deeply rooted in Shinto traditions. Subject to the same strict hierarchy and traditional appearance as the other professions gravitating around professional sumo, the gyōji are one of the most visible professions at tournaments (honbasho), being the third person in the dohyō (wrestling ring) and sometimes defined as "an essential part of the sumo spectacle." Inherited from a tradition of refereeing dating back to the Heian period, gyōji did not take on their current role until the T...