San'yaku
San'yaku ( Japanese 三 役 "three ranks") originally referred to the ranks Komusubi , Sekiwake and Ōzeki in Japanese sumo sport . Until the Meiji period, the yokozuna were considered Ōzeki with special ceremonial rights and the San'yaku were thus the three highest ranks. Even with the establishment of yokozuna as an independent rank, the term has survived despite the numerical inconsistency (literal meaning: "three ranks") and is used inconsistently today: On the one hand, it can only refer to the two ranks Komusubi and Sekiwake. On the other hand, it is used as a generic term for all four ranks above the maegashira (Komusubi, Sekiwake, Ōzeki and Yokozuna). This article focuses on the latter meaning.
Ideally, with the exception of yokozuna, there should be two wrestlers in each of the San'yaku ranks, in the sumo conceptual system one "eastern" and one "western". Once there is only one Ōzeki, the yokozuna is formally listed as a yokozuna-Ōzeki . If there are several yokozuna in office at the same time, the lowest in the ranking system takes over this function. There is no known case in which there has been less than one yokozuna and Ōzeki.
Life as a San'yaku brings a number of special privileges, but also obligations. The fighters receive a higher monthly salary and the permission to acquire a share of the Nihon Sumō Kyōkai (regardless of the number of tournaments they have completed in the Makuuchi division). For this they have to take part in various events as representatives of the sumo wrestlers. For example, all San'yaku are present in their fighting mawashi at the formal speeches of the sumo association chairman on the opening and closing days of a tournament . The San'yaku also welcome particularly prominent guests, e. B. the Tennō , in the stadium.
The ranks of the San'yaku can be further divided into an upper and a lower part. The higher sanyaku are yokozuna and Ōzeki, underneath are the two lower grades, Sekiwake and Komusubi, who earn the same amount and between which there is no great difference in prestige. The advancement into the upper group is determined by special criteria (see article Ōzeki ), in return its members receive considerably higher salaries and other improvements such as a larger number of lower-ranking wrestlers to help them, a parking space in the complex of the sumo association and Right to vote in the association. For this it is expected that they represent the views of the active fighters in the association and take part in all kinds of promotional events and sponsor meetings. Less demand is made of the lower sanyaku.
Fighters of the upper San'yaku ranks are not eligible for the three special prizes or sanshō , which are awarded at the end of a tournament for special achievements.
Other uses
The word San'yaku , meaning the "three offices", is also used in other organizations in Japan and means the three highest positions. The San'yaku of a local government are, for example, the mayor, his deputy ( joyaku ) and the town / village treasurer ( shūnyūyaku ), those of a prefectural government are the governor, the lieutenant governor (s) and the head of the finance department ( suitōchō ).
In the Liberal Democratic Party , which has ruled for decades, the three most important positions after the party chairman are called tō-san'yaku , i.e. the “three offices of the party”.
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- ↑ http://ozumou.com/e/archives/34
- ↑ 三 役 In: Daijisen at kotobank.jp . Shogakukan, accessed July 14, 2016 (Japanese)