Sumo’s banzuke, which lists the rankings of all wrestlers on a large sheet in intricate referee-penned calligraphy, may not be a scroll, but it is put together by elders.
Exactly how those oyakata arrive at their various decisions isn’t fully understood by anyone who hasn’t been a member of the ranking committee that meets following the conclusion of each tournament.
While the general outline of the banzuke can be guessed with a certain degree of accuracy, there are always a handful of head-scratching promotions and demotions.
