1st Game of Go Kisei Title Series to Be Held in Hawaii, Previous Match There Played 29 Years Ago

The Yomiuri Shimbun

6:00 JST, October 21, 2025

The Yomiuri Shimbun will hold the first game of the 50th Kisei title series — the most prestigious title in the world of Go — in Hawaii, with special sponsorship from Suntory Holdings Ltd. It will mark the third time a Kisei match has been staged in Hawaii, following previous events in 1988 and 1997, returning after a 29-year hiatus.

The event is being realized through an invitation from the state government of Hawaii, with support from Japan Airlines.

On the eve of the match, a reception will be held at the Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu. Local Go fans will also have an opportunity to interact with professional players through a live play-by-play commentary session of the game and an event for local fans to play with pro go players.

The first game of the best-of-seven series will take place on Jan. 22 and 23, 2026. For current titleholder Ryo Ichiriki, 28, the series carries special significance — if he successfully defends his title, he will become eligible for the Honorary Kisei title. His challenger is expected to be decided by November 2025.

All eyes on Go player Ichiriki in prestigious 50th Kisei title series

The schedule and venue have been finalized for the best-of-seven Kisei title series, the most prestigious in the Go scene. All eyes are on this milestone best-of-seven series. Will current Kisei title holder Ryo Ichiriki, 28, etch his name in history by becoming eligible to hold the “Honorary Kisei” title, or will a new titleholder emerge?

The first match of the Kisei series that celebrates its 50th edition next year will be held in Hawaii. This is the first time in 12 years that a Kisei match will be played overseas since the match in Spain in 2014. Following an invitation from the state government of Hawaii and with support from Japan Airlines, Hawaii was chosen as the venue. The U.S. state has previously hosted matches of the title series twice, in 1988 and 1997.

The second match of the series will be held in Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, home to Innoshima Island and the birthplace of legendary Go player Honinbo Shusaku (1829-62) who lived during the Edo period. Go is very popular in the area. The third match will be held at the Kyushu National Museum in Dazaifu, Fukuoka Prefecture, for the first time since 2020.

The fifth match would be held in Sendai, Ichiriki’s hometown, serving as a venue for the fourth consecutive year. This time, the Sendai Ryokusaikan Visitor Center, Aobayama Park, home to a statue of feudal lord Date Masamune, would host a game for the first time.

The following municipalities were chosen again as venues following the previous series: Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, for the fourth match; Katsuura, Chiba Prefecture, for the sixth match; and Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, for the seventh match.

If Ichiriki successfully defends his title in the upcoming series, he will have won the title for the fifth consecutive time. This will make him eligible to hold the title of “Honorary Kisei.” Within the seven Go titles, winning a title five or 10 times, depending on the title, allows its holder to use an honorary title after their retirement.

The Honorary Kisei title is held by only three players: Hideyuki Fujisawa (1925–2009), who became the first Kisei in 1977 and won six consecutive titles from then until 1982; Koichi Kobayashi, 73, who won the title eight consecutive times from 1986 to 1993; and Yuta Iyama, 36, who won nine consecutive titles from 2013 to 2021.

Go inspires young people, says Hawaii governor

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green sat down with The Yomiuri Shimbun at its headquarters in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, for an interview before Hawaii had been decided as the venue for the first match of the 50th Kisei best-of-seven title series. The following is excerpted from the interview conducted in English.

The Yomiuri Shimbun: What was the reason behind inviting the Kisei series to Hawaii?

Josh Green: It’s a very intellectual competition. It inspires young people and it also brings Japan together with Hawaii. It also marks a period of time — a 50-year anniversary is special … when we have positive anniversaries, which we can mark, we’d like to take the opportunity.

Yomiuri: You designated July as “the Month of Go” last year. As well, the Kisei series was held in Hawaii twice in the past. How popular is Go in Hawaii?

Green: We have clubs in our schools, we have the ability to celebrate games of skill and we in Hawaii don’t have a lot of other major events or sports. So, when we have an opportunity to have something dynamic like this, we seize it. We’d like more young people to play games of strategy and skill. We think it’s a good thing for young people across the world. And so it seems like a natural thing for our administration to embrace, in this case with Japan.

Yomiuri: Hawaii is a familiar tourist destination for Japanese people. Could you tell us its charm and why it is so special?

Green: Hawaii is special because we have a deep history with the Japanese people. Many of our families are integrated, including my own. My wife’s family is part Japanese and also Hawaiian, so many of us in our families have Japanese traditions. In addition to that, we feel a unique attraction to the peaceful nature of Japan and Hawaii.

When there’s an opportunity for us to have something positive like the Kisei series or to have the baseball teams come or to have traditional tea masters come and educate us, it’s very valuable to us, and it makes our people feel like they can reconnect to Japan.