in the customer seating area on jungyō. Promotion through these ranks is based primarily on experience, although ability is also taken into account, particularly in promotions to the top ranks. Ring names Yobidashi take a single name as their ring name, unlike both the wrestlers (rikishi) and gyōji who have both a surname and given name. This may be related to the practice of the Edo period in Japan whereby only samurai class persons could hold a surname. The wrestlers (involved in a martial activity) and gyōji (who were lettered) could be construed as having positions consistent with a samurai status, while the yobidashi did not. As from July 1993 the upper ranked yobidashi also had their names included on the banzuke, the ranking sheet produced prior to each honbasho. Apart from a brief period previously, only the gyōji had traditionally been included on the banzuke in addition to the wrestlers and their training stablemasters, or oyakata, again indicating the difference in status of the two jobs. External links List of current yobidashi at Japan Sumo Association homepage Interview with a yobidashi References Sumo people Japanese words and phrases Sumo terminology