Kinboshi

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Kinboshi, literally meaning gold star, is a term used in professional sumo wrestling to describe a maegashira victory over a yokozuna.

In sumo a bout victory is normally called a shiroboshi (or white star) and a defeat kuroboshi (or black star). This comes from the way the results are displayed in the tournament tables, which are usually leagues. Thus the term 'gold' differentiates it as a special victory.

Such a kinboshi victory earns the maegashira the sum of 10 yen into his mochikyukin account. This sum is converted using a multiplier and paid in the wrestler's bonus in every tournament the wrestler competes in as a sekitori.

With a conversion of 4000 yen per yen in the mochikyukin account and six tournaments per annum, this one victory corresponds to a pay increase of 240,000 yen per annum for the remainder of the wrestler's career.

Records are kept of the kinboshi a wrestler receives during his career. The record holder is the former wrestler Akinoshima who won 15 bouts against yokozuna when ranked as a maegashira.

[edit] Restrictions on kinboshi awards

Kinboshi are not awarded to Sanyaku ranked wrestlers who defeat a yokozuna, nor is it awarded if the maegashira beats the Yokozuna with a default win (or fusensho). It is also not given if the Yokozuna is disqualified for using an illegal move (or hansoku). While it is not uncommon for an underperforming yokozuna to withdraw midway through a tournament giving a default win to one or more maegashiras, a hansoku yokozuna loss has only happened once when Asashoryu was disqualified for pulling Kyokushuzan's hair in the July tournament of 2003.

[edit] Related Term

The term ginboshi (or silver star) is also used informally to denote a maegashira victory over an ozeki. However, there is no direct financial benefit of such a win, nor are ginboshi records kept.