A toshiyori (年寄) is a sumo elder of the Japan Sumo Association. Also known as oyakata, former wrestlers who reached a sufficiently high rank are the only people eligible. The benefits are considerable, as only toshiyori are allowed to run and coach in sumo stables, known as heya, and they are also the only former rikishi given retirement pay.
To become an elder, a retiring wrestler must have fought at least one tournament in the sanyaku ranks, or else twenty tournaments in the top makuuchi division or thirty as a sekitori (makuuchi or juryo division). However, membership can only be obtained by purchasing toshiyori-kabu, or elder stock, in the Japan Sumo Association. There are only 105 shares available for purchase, and the increasing lifespan of elders has meant that they take longer to become vacant. As a result, their decreasing availability has caused their price to greatly increase, with stock now reportedly selling for up to 500 million yen. Often the only way wrestlers, even very successful ones, can afford a share is if they have a large and wealthy group of supporters and financial backers.
An exception to the purchase requirement is made for the most successful former yokozuna who may be offered a one-time membership of the Association. Three former wrestlers, Taihō, Kitanoumi and Takanohana obtained this status. A fourth, Chiyonofuji, was offered this status but preferred a normal share. These four all achieved more than twenty tournament championships in their active career.
Alternatively, any former yokozuna can stay in the Japan Sumo Association for up to five years under their shikona or ring name, while former ōzeki can stay for three. Musashimaru and Tochiazuma were current examples in 2008. Ex wrestlers below that rank, since the abolition of the jun-toshiyori system in December 2006, have no such grace period and must leave the sumo world permanently unless they have either already purchased a share or can borrow one from a rikishi still active in the ring. It is not uncommon for a former wrestler to go through several elder name over the years while searching for a permanent one. Former sekiwake Kotonishiki for example, was in 2008 borrowing Kaio's Asakayama elder name, having previously used the Takenawa and Wakamatsu name.
All toshiyori have a mandatory retirement age of 65. It is rare for a man with a permanent toshiyori name to leave before that time, but former yokozuna Wajima was asked to resign in 1985 after putting up his stock as collateral on a loan, and former komusubi Futatsuryu, head of Tokitsukaze stable, was expelled in 2007 because of his involvement in the death of one of his young recruits.
Much like other staff members of the Sumo Association (such as referees and ushers), elders are also subject to a rank structure; only the lowest-ranking members are strictly known as toshiyori. The ranks are as follows:
Promotion up to iin occurs almost exclusively by seniority and is generally a fairly quick process; the majority of all elders are ranked as iin. Two exceptions apply: Elders using a borrowed share cannot be promoted from toshiyori, while very successful former wrestlers (generally, yokozuna and ōzeki) immediately receive full iin privileges as iin taigu toshiyori upon their retirement from active competition, even before their normal advancement up the ladder will take them to shunin and later iin status.
Furthermore, the fuku-riji and riji positions require a nomination for and subsequent election to the Association Board (or direct confirmation in case there are no more candidates than positions), with elections being held biennially. Yakuin taigu iin are named to their position by the chief director.