Banchō (番長) historically refers a governmental position during the Ritsuryō period in Japan.
In Japan in the 20th century, the term banchō refers to a leader of juvenile delinquents in middle and high schools.
Vestiges of the word still remained, though, such as in the nicknames for baseball players Kazuhiro Kiyohara and Daisuke 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.