He Wrote Every Sumo Ranking by Hand for 35 Years — Then Called His Last Match

For 35 years, one sumo referee wrote the banzuke, grand sumo’s official ranking list, entirely by hand. This is the story of Kimura Shonosuke, the tate gyoji who held sumo’s highest refereeing rank, and of the day he raised his gunbai one last time. We follow his path through the gyoji ranks and look at how the banzuke works. We also explain sumo-ji, the bold, tightly packed calligraphy built to fill every space on the page. You’ll see why the Japan Sumo Association entrusts its rankings to a referee’s brush, how that role connects to the older history of Japanese calligraphy, and what happened at the Aki Basho 2026 as his final match approached. Along the way, the video explains how sumo rankings work and why a gyoji retirement marks a real turning point in the sport. Behind every bout is a tradition carried by people most fans never notice, and this sumo documentary gives one of them his due. On SumoSpirit, we tell the stories behind sumo history so each tournament means more when you watch it. If you think the man who wrote every name on the banzuke deserves to be remembered, give this a like and subscribe so his story reaches more sumo fans.