Passing on Shogi Culture: Battle Played in Earnest on a Board Should Continue

Editorial

14:59 JST, October 5, 2024

The breathtaking battle of brains has fascinated people since long ago. Even in the age of artificial intelligence, this has not changed. It must be passed on to future generations as traditional Japanese culture.

The Japan Shogi Association is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Three shogi groups in Tokyo merged in 1924 to form the Tokyo Shogi Federation, the predecessor to the current organization.

Shogi is said to have originated in India and was introduced to Japan by the Heian period (794-late 12th century). It has since developed as a unique part of Japanese culture over the course of its long history.

The association has worked to develop the system of professional shogi and establish title matches. It has produced stars in each era, including the late Yasuharu Oyama, who held a lifetime honorary Meijin title; ninth-dan Yoshiharu Habu, who currently serves as the chairman of the association and once held all seven titles simultaneously at a time when there were only seven shogi titles; and star player Sota Fujii who holds the Ryuo title, which is one of the now eight titles.

This year, new shogi halls were built in Tokyo and Osaka Prefecture. The association should work hard to further popularize and develop shogi in the next 100 years.

It is important to increase interest in shogi and broaden the fan base.

Recently, thanks to the popularity of Fujii, the meals served during the title matches, the kimono worn by the professional players and other such topics have also been attracting attention. Matches among amateur players are now being played online.

The appeal of shogi must be conveyed widely by taking advantage of this momentum. It is important to make active use of the new halls in the east and west through such methods as holding events with popular professional players and offering shogi classes for children.

It is said that only about 20% of people who have played shogi are women. Trying to increase this percentage will be a challenge for the future.

Tomoka Nishiyama, who now holds three women’s shogi titles, is aiming to become a professional shogi player and is currently competing in a qualification series. She needs to win three in a best-of-five series, and so far, she has won one and lost one. If the world sees the emergence of the first female professional shogi player, the number of female fans is sure to increase.

Shogi must be promoted overseas, too. It has become easier to enter the world of shogi from overseas via the internet. The number of countries participating in international shogi events held by the association is also increasing.

Steady activities, such as dispatching professionals to various countries and providing players there with guidance on tactics, are essential. If other countries emerge as Japan’s rivals in shogi, and international competitions can be held, the shogi world will gain even more momentum.

The best-of-seven series of the Ryuo title begins on Saturday. Eighth-dan Yuki Sasaki challenges Fujii, who is aiming to win the title for the fourth consecutive time. Fujii lost the Eio title but still has seven other titles.

Seven years ago, Sasaki stopped Fujii from winning his 30th consecutive match. This year, Sasaki defeated Fujii in the final to win the NHK Cup tournament. The upcoming Ryuo title matches will be a good event that will predict the future of the shogi world.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 5, 2024)