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50th Go Kisei Series Set to Start in Hawaii as Contestants Arrive

The Yomiuri Shimbun

19:26 JST, January 21, 2026

The 50th Go Kisei title series, which will see title holder Ryo Ichiriki play challenger Toramaru Shibano, will start Thursday in Hawaii. Their first match in the best-of-seven series will take place in the Prince Waikiki hotel on the island of Oahu.

On Tuesday morning, Ichiriki and Shibano, who is ranked 10th dan, arrived at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. Both said it was their first time to visit Hawaii.

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Ryo Ichiriki, left, and Toramaru Shibano pose for a photo with a famous tree in the background.

To help reduce jet lag, the two Go players and others accompanying them toured the island in a bus before checking into the hotel.

Their first stop was the Moanalua Gardens, which has a huge tree that has appeared in Japanese TV commercials and is famous in Japan.

They ate Loco Moco, a Hawaiian specialty, for lunch. Then they visited a statue of King Kamehameha, who unified the Hawaiian Islands and established a dynasty, and the Kapi‘olani Regional Park, from which visitors can see the Diamond Head crater, a symbol of Oahu.