Kinboshi

Kinboshi (金星, lit: gold star) is a notation used in professional sumo wrestling to record a lower-ranked (maegashira) wrestler's victory over a yokozuna.

It is believed that the term stems from the usage of the terms shiroboshi (lit: white star) to designate a bout victory, and kuroboshi (black star) to designate a bout defeat. Thus, a "gold star" designates it as a special victory.

The word kinboshi first came into popular use in the Taishō period 1912-1926, and the system of monetarily awarding a maegashira who defeated a yokozuna in an official tournament began in January, 1930.

A kinboshi victory increases the balance in the maegashira's mochikyūkin account by 10 yen. This balance is converted using a multiplier, presently 4,000, and added to the wrestler's bonus in every subsequent tournament in which he competes as a sekitori. With six tournaments a year, this one victory corresponds to a pay increase of 240,000 yen per annum for the remainder of the wrestler's sekitori career.