Banchō (position)

Banchō (番長^?) may refer to either a governmental position during the Ritsuryō period, or the leader of a group of delinquents.

During the Ritsuryō system, a banchō was a lower position in the Imperial Guard. In the Engi-Shiki there are several references to people holding this position.

In Japan in the 20th century, the term refers to a leader of juvenile delinquents in middle and high schools. 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 from tōbanchō (当番長^?), a term for a position in the former Japanese army. Female banchō are called sukeban (スケ番^?). The typical image of a banchō is an uncouth fighter who has a strong sense of gang honor. Banchō who rule several schools and have control of other banchō are called sōban (総番^?), and in elementary schools and under, the term for banchō is gakitaishō (ガキ大将^?).

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