Re: Banzuke release and secrecy questions.

[Alexander Herrmann <alexander.herrmann@mymail.mynetix.de>]

Jan de Veen wrote:
> Now, for me this raises a number of questions:
> 
> 1. Why is this "maki" put in a safe for such a long period of time
> before the actual banzuke is made? Why not make the banzuke straight
> away? What, for that matter, is the (probably historic or symbolical)
> reason for the release of the banzuke 13 days before the start of a
> basho?

Here's what I found in "Sumo - Kampf der Giganten" (Fight of the
Giants) by German Eurosport commentator A. v. d. Groeben:

Three days after senshuraku the committee meets and decides the final
banzuke (they seem to make some pre-versions also in the last days of
the basho).
Then the gyoji (apperently only one) writes the banzuke four times
increased, as in ancient times still by brush. This takes about two
weeks. The printing of this "raw banzuke" takes another two weeks and
is made by a company in Tokyo. They work for more than 30 years for
the Kyokai now, so the workers have probably always kept to the pledge
of secrecy.

With the banzuke being finally printed, there are only two weeks left
until the basho starts, so the 13 days aren't that symbolic as you
might think :-)

~Tamanaogijima