Banchō (番長) historically refers a governmental position during theRitsuryō period in Japan. In the modern era, banchō is the leader of a group of male Japanesejuvenile delinquents.Sukeban is the related term for young girls of the subculture. The termbanchō became less common through the 1970s and into the1980s in Japan.
Under theRitsuryō system between the 8th and 10th centuries, abanchō was a lower position in the Imperial Guard. In theEngi-Shiki there are several references to people holding this position.
In Japan in the 20th century, the termbanchō refers to a leader ofjuvenile delinquents in middle and high schools.[1] It is thought that this current meaning originates from the original meaning of the term—the personalities of guard commanders. An alternative is that the word derives fromtōbanchō (当番長), a term for a position in the former Japanese army. Femalebanchō are calledsukeban (スケ番). The typical image of abanchō is an uncouth fighter who has a strong sense ofgang honor.Banchō who rule several schools and have control of otherbanchō are calledsōban (総番), and in elementary schools and under, the term forbanchō isgakitaishō (ガキ大将).
In reality, though,banchō were becoming increasingly rare in the 1970s, and by the 1980s the term was relatively old-fashioned. Vestiges of the word still remained, though, such as in the nicknames for baseball playersKazuhiro Kiyohara andDaisuke Miura. By the end of the 20th century, the term almost did not exist at all, though groups of delinquents who committed crimes began to stand out. The term became a title of honor for people with leadership personalities, and who stood against tough elements, and in turn, the negative connotation of the word diminished. It also became a scornful term for people who had a great deal of bravado.
On the other hand, in the manga world, due to a backlash, a genre called "banchō manga" has been created, with there being various types ofbanchō.
In some schools, students would hold secret elections to pickbanchō.[1] Occasionally there would be fights betweenbanchō and their subordinates, the loser of which would become subordinate to the winner.[1]
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