The second division
Juryo sits directly below Makuuchi. Its wrestlers are full salaried sekitori, compete on all 15 tournament days, take part in a ring-entering ceremony, and receive privileges that wrestlers in Makushita and below do not have.
The boundary below Juryo is therefore more than a sporting line. Promotion into the division changes a wrestler's pay, clothing, daily duties, and standing within the stable. Demotion out of it reverses many of those privileges.
Upper Juryo wrestlers with strong records can be promoted into Makuuchi. Wrestlers near the bottom may need enough wins simply to remain sekitori. This makes the division's final days important even when the championship race is already settled.