Shogi Star Sota Fujii Earns Record ¥200 Million Plus, Reigns as Money Leader for 4th Consecutive Year

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:18 JST, February 4, 2026

Shogi genius Sota Fujii set a new record high for prize money and playing fees in 2025, according to an announcement made by the Japan Shogi Association on Tuesday.

Fujii, 23, holds six titles, including Ryuo, Oi, Kisei and Kio, and has been on top of the money rankings for four consecutive years. He earned ¥213.61 million in 2025, thereby breaking the ¥200 million mark for the first time since the association began announcing the rankings 1989.

Fujii was followed by ninth-dan Takuya Nagase, 33, who won ¥45.77 million and eighth-dan Yuki Sasaki, 31, who won ¥41.33 million.

The previous record was ¥186.34 million, which was earned by Fujii in 2023, the year he became the first shogi player ever to hold all the eight titles at the same time.

Fujii later fell to six titles, after losing the Eio and Oza titles to Takumi Ito, 23.

In 2025, the champion’s prize money for the Kisei title was raised to ¥40 million, which helped Fujii’s earnings to surpass ¥200 million. Ito was placed fourth in the 2025 rankings with earnings of ¥40.87 million.