non-standard banzuke release dates (since 2000)

[Asashosakari 15,651]

Collected on the occasion of the upcoming release of the Hatsu banzuke, which is responsible for most of the cases.

Hatsu basho

Year	Banzuke		Shonichi
2000	Dec 22	Wednesday	Jan 09
2001	Dec 20	Wednesday	Jan 07
2002	Dec 25	Tuesday	Jan 13
2003	Dec 24	Tuesday	Jan 12
2004	Dec 24	Wednesday	Jan 11
2005	Dec 23	Thursday	Jan 09
2006	Dec 21	Wednesday	Jan 08
2007	Dec 21	Thursday	Jan 07
2008	Dec 20	Thursday	Jan 13
2009	Dec 24	Wednesday	Jan 11
2010	Dec 21	Monday	Jan 10
2011	Dec 21	Tuesday	Jan 09
2012	Dec 21	Wednesday	Jan 08
2013	Dec 24	Monday	Jan 13
2014	Dec 24	Tuesday	Jan 12
2015	Dec 24	Wednesday	Jan 11
2016	Dec 24	Thursday	Jan 10
2017	Dec 26	Monday	Jan 08
2018	Dec 26	Tuesday	Jan 14
2019	Dec 25	Tuesday	Jan 13
2020	Dec 24	Tuesday	Jan 12

Hatsu 2017 (Dec 26 -> Jan 08) had the only regular "13 days before" release during all these years. Doesn't seem to be any real pattern to it except that Fridays-Sundays are obviously being avoided.

Natsu basho

Year	Banzuke		Shonichi
2001	Apr 25	Wednesday	May 13
2002	Apr 24	Wednesday	May 12
2003	Apr 23	Wednesday	May 11
2007	Apr 25	Wednesday	May 13
2008	Apr 24	Thursday	May 11
2013	Apr 25	Thursday	May 12
2014	Apr 24	Thursday	May 11
2019	Apr 30	Tuesday	May 12

Early releases largely due to Golden Week, although they seem have ceased this practice now: This year's Natsu basho started on May 14 and the banzuke release was regularly scheduled for May 1. The 2018 Natsu banzuke was actually scheduled for such an early Apr 26 (Thursday) release when the 2018 calendar was originally published (similar to the previous cases when the tournament started on the 13th), but that has since been changed to the regular date Apr 30. And then in 2019 they're actually planning to release a day late (only 12 days before shonichi), likely because Monday Apr 29 coincides with Shōwa Day.

Some additional notes: 2013 saw multiple adjustments. The basho was originally scheduled to start on May 05, with the banzuke to be released Apr 22 on the standard Monday. The tournament was eventually rescheduled to start on May 12 and the banzuke day set for Apr 29, but presumably also due to Shōwa Day this was then changed to Apr 25 as listed in the table. (So they've learned from that for 2019, although it's not going to be an early release now.) In addition, the original calendar for 2015 had a scheduled banzuke day of Thursday Apr 23, continuing the pattern from 2013/14, but then they seemingly realized that there was no need for it when the basho already starts on May 10, and it was changed to the regular Apr 27.

Two further cases to complete the list:

The Nagoya 2010 banzuke saw an emergency delay by a week (thread) and was only released six days before shonichi; the reason was the at the time ongoing investigation into the rikishi gambling scandal. And the May 2011 not-a-honbasho following the yaocho scandal saw no official banzuke release at all, just an informal ranking announcement. (The originally scheduled banzuke day was on the standard date, though.)

Edited December 23, 2017 by Asashosakari

[Asashosakari 15,651]

On 12/21/2017 at 22:15, Asashosakari said:

And then in 2019 they're actually planning to release a day late (only 12 days before shonichi), likely because Monday Apr 29 coincides with Shōwa Day.

I wonder if this is going to get moved again, considering April 30 now coincides with the Emperor's abdication. Perhaps not the kind of event with which you want to compete for public attention...