Japan Shogi Association

The Japan Shogi Association (日本将棋連盟, Nihon Shōgi Renmei), or JSA,[lower-alpha 1] is the primary organizing body for professional shogi in Japan.[5][6] The JSA sets the professional calendar, negotiates sponsorship and media promotion deals, helps organize tournaments and title matches, publishes shogi-related materials, supervises and trains apprentice professionals as well as many other activities.

Japan Shogi Association
日本将棋連盟
Tokyo headquarters
AbbreviationJSA (or NSR)
FormationSeptember 8, 1924 (1924-09-08)
TypePublic Interest Incorporated Association
PurposePromotion and development of shogi both within Japan and internationally
HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
Location
Coordinates35°40′38″N 139°42′34″E
Official language
Japanese
President
Yasumitsu Satō
Websitewww.shogi.or.jp (in Japanese)
Formerly called
Tokyo Shogi Association

History

For much of its early history, shogi followed an iemoto system centered around three families (schools): the Ōhashi (main), the Ōhashi (branch) and the Itō.[lower-alpha 2][7] The Meijin title was hereditary and could only be held by members of these three families. These three schools were supported by the Tokugawa shogunate and thus controlled the professional shogi world up until 1868 when the Meiji Restoration began.[8] By the time Sōin Itō, the eighth and last head of the Itō school and the 11th Hereditary Meijin, had died in 1893, the influence of the families had decreased to such an extent that they had no real power at all.[9]

In 1921, there were three groups of professional players in the Tokyo area: the 東京将棊倶楽部 led by Kinjirō Sekine (the thirteen Lifetime Meijin), the 東京将棊同盟社 led by Ichitarō Doi, and the 東京将棊研究會 led by Kumao Ōsaki. Additionally, western Japan had its own separate organizations. On September 8, 1924, the Tokyo players united together to found the Tokyo Shogi Federation (東京将棋連盟, tōkyō shōgi renmei), the earliest form of the JSA, with Doi as president and Sekine as honorary president.[10] The Tokyo Shogi Federation changed its name to Nihon Shōgi Renmei (日本将棋連盟) in 1927 with Sekine as president. In 1932, the president changed back to Doi with Sekine again as honorary president. Yasujirō Kon replaced Doi as president in 1934. However, the shogi world was split again in 1935 when a western guild of players called Japan Shogi Reform Society (日本将棋革新協会, nihon shōgi kakushin kyōkai) with Chōtarō Hanada as its president separated from the eastern Nihon Shōgi Renmei due to a controversy over the 8-dan promotion of Tatsunosuke Kanda.[11] In 1936, the two sections along with a western third sect (Tatsunosuke Kanda's 十一日会 group) merged to form the Shogi Consolidation Association (将棋大成会, shōgi taisei-kai) with Sekine as its president.[12] With this merger, it became possible to hold the first Real Strength (nonhereditary) Meijin tournament. Yoshio Kimura, who became the first nonhereditary Meijin in 1937, replaced Sekine as president in 1938. In 1947, it officially changed its name back to Nihon Shōgi Renmei with Kimura still as president. In 1949, it became a legal entity (社団法人 shadan hōjin 'corporate person') for the first time.[13] The JSA celebrated its 81st anniversary in November 2005, which was significant because a shogi board consists of 81 squares.[14]

Organization

Purpose

On its official website, the JSA states that its aims are "to contribute to the development of Japanese traditional culture, to help increase shogi's popularity and development as an art form, to contribute to spread an increased understanding of Japanese culture and traditions and to establish friendly exchanges with people of other countries through shogi".[15][lower-alpha 3]

Activities

Both the JSA's official homepage [16] and by-laws [17] list the official activities of the association as follows:

  • Negotiate contracts with all domestic media (newspapers, magazines, TV, etc.) organizations regarding the provision of game scores for matches or tournaments sponsored by the association. This includes providing comments and analysis as needed.
  • Issue a monthly magazine as well as publish game scores as necessary.
  • Organize tournaments, meetings, or seminars as needed as well as establish branch offices or shogi "classrooms" wherever and whenever deemed appropriate.
  • Foster the spread and instruction of shogi domestically through the training of certified teaching professionals.
  • Increase the popularity of shogi internationally by holding and sponsoring international matches and supporting international tournaments.
  • Foster the development of "Shogi-dō" or "The Art of Shogi" through the establishment of shogi clubs or through the lease of facilities to the general public for seminars and training, etc.
  • Dispatch shogi professionals, etc. to various locations both domestically and internationally to increase shogi's popularity and to offer guidance and instruction.
  • Enter into arrangements with various cultural organizations and promote cultural activities.
  • Perform any activities other than those listed above which are deemed essential to achieving the association's objectives.

Status

The JSA officially registered as a "Public Interest Incorporated Association" (公益社団法人, kōeki shadan hōjin) under Japanese law on April 1, 2011.[lower-alpha 4] Prior to that, the JSA had been officially registered as "Membership Association" (社団法人, shadan hōjin) since July 29, 1949.[9]

Headquarters and other offices
Kansai Shogi Kaikan

The headquarters (本部, honbu) of the JSA is located in the Sendagaya area of Tokyo's Shibuya Ward, while the main office for western Japan is the Kansai Shogi Kaikan located in Fukushima Ward, Osaka. In addition to the two main offices, there is also the Tokai Promotion Federation located in the Sakae area of Naka Ward, Nagoya.[19]

In June 2019, the JSA announced that it would be moving its headquarters from its current location to a commercial property close to Sendagaya Station. The current JSA headquarters was built in 1976, and forty-years of aging needed to be addressed. A committee set up in June 2018 led by Yoshiharu Habu discussed options and presented them at the JSA's June 2019 General Meeting, where the members voted to move to a new location. JSA president Sato stated that he would continue negotiations either to purchase or lease a new location with the goal of completing the relocation some time around the year 2024.[20]

General meetings and the board of directors

Yasumitsu Satō is the current JSA president.[21][22] Once a year (more often if needed), the JSA membership meets to discuss matters relevant to the association. Organizational matters, financial matters, disciplinary matters, etc. are all discussed and placed to a vote. Each regular member[lower-alpha 5] is given one vote.[24]

Every two years, the JSA's board of directors is chosen during the annual meeting. No less than eight, but no more than twenty members are selected to be directors for a period of two years. The recently elected directors then choose one of their fellow directors to serve as president, one to serve as senior managing director, and no less than four to serve as executive directors. In addition, the general membership selects no more than three individuals to serve as the association's comptrollers. Directors, their relatives, persons having special relationships with directors, and JSA employees are not allowed to be comptrollers.[25]

The JSA maintains a business office and hires staff to help manage the everyday affairs of the association as well as assist in other tasks deemed by the president to be important.[26]

Past presidents

The following is a list of past presidents of the JSA.[9]

No.NameFromTo
1Yoshio KimuraDecember 1947March 1948
2Tōichi WatanabeMarch 1948March 1953
3Nobuhiko SakaguchiMarch 1953March 1955
4Kiyoshi HagiwaraMarch 1955March 1957
5Jirō KatōMarch 1957May 1961
6Yasuo HaradaMay 1961May 1967
7Nobuhiko SakaguchiMay 1967May 1969
8Yūzō MarutaMay 1969May 1973
9Jirō KatōMay 1973July 1974
10Masao Tsukada*July 1974December 1976
11Yasuharu ŌyamaDecember 1976May 1989
12Tatsuya FutakamiMay 1989May 2003
13Makoto NakaharaMay 2003May 2005
14Kunio Yonenaga*May 2005December 2012
15Koji TanigawaDecember 2012February 2017[lower-alpha 6]

Note: Names marked with an asterisk (*) died while in office.

Players
Main article: Professional shogi player

Members of the Japan Shogi Association are of two types: professional players (棋士 kishi) and women professional players (女流棋士 joryū kishi). As of 2017, there are no women who have qualified for the professional player group, which consists only of males as a result.

All professional players are members of the JSA. However, not all women professional players are members of the JSA. Other women professional players belong to a separate female shogi guild (日本女子プロ将棋協会 nihon joshi puro shōgi kyōkai ) or are free agents.

Other

Internet

The JSA maintains an online presence through its official website and Twitter account. The association also provides mobile app which provides some free content such as shogi-related news updates, but offers live tournament reports, game scores and detailed analysis, etc. for a fee.[27] In addition, the JSA also owns and operates Shogi Club 24, an online shogi game site,[28][29] and provides official support to the international shogi server 81Dojo.[30]

The JSA has an official YouTube channel called "Shogi Association" where it provides instructional and event video clips hosted by JSA professionals and women's professionals[31] as well as an official Twitter account for the channel.[32]

Publications

The JSA has its own publishing division for shogi-related books, magazines, and other printed matter.[33] Together with the Mynavi Publishing Corporation, the JSA published a weekly newspaper called Weekly Shogi (週刊将棋 (Shūkan Shōgi)) from January 1984 to March 2016, but ceased publication due to changes in the media environoment.[34] The JSA also publishes a monthly magazine called Shogi World (将棋世界 (Shōgi Sekai)).[35] The JSA and MyNabi also operate official Twitter accounts for both publications.[36][37]

International activities

The JSA maintains an international presence and promotes shogi internationally through 40 official chapters in 28 countries worldwide. These chapters are local shogi clubs or national federations which are officially recognized and supported by the JSA.[38][39]

The JSA has also held an International Shogi Forum once every three years since 1999. The multi-day event includes individual and team tournaments involving representatives from overseas national shogi federations and Japan, simultaneous exhibitions by professionals and female professionals, displays of shogi equipment as well as various exchange events.[40] The event has been held six times in Japan—Tokyo (1999, 2002, 2005),[41][42][43] Tendō (2008),[44] Shizuoka (2014)[45] and Kitakyushu (2017)[46]—and once overseas, France (2011).[47]

Matches of the Ryūō title tournament have occasionally been held overseas as well in Australia, China, England, France, Germany, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and the United States.[48][49]

See also

Notes
  1. Although some English books and online sites still refer to the organization as the Nihon Shogi Renmei, or by the initialism NSR, because it is the romanized version of its Japanese name, the organization itself uses the name Japan Shogi Association on its official website. The name Japanese Shogi Federation is an older English translation no longer used by the JSA.[1][2][3][4]
  2. The Ōhashi School (main) was founded by Ōhashi Sōkei I, the 1st Hereditary Meijin, in 1612. Sōkei's second son Ōhashi Sōyo I was not next in line to succeed his father so he established the Ōhashi School (branch) during the Kan'ei Era. In 1636, Sōkei's son-in-law Itō Sōkan I, the 3rd Hereditary Meijin, established the Itō School.
  3. The original Japanese is "目的として「将棋の普及発展と技術向上を図り、我が国の文化の向上、伝承に資するとともに、将棋を通じて諸外国との交流親善を図り、もって伝統文化の向上発展に寄与すること」を謳っています。"
  4. A "Public Interest Incorporated association" is a general incorporated association that has received the authorization under Article 4: General incorporated associations and general incorporated foundations that operate the business for public interest purposes may be authorized by the administrative agency of the Act on Authorization of Public Interest Incorporated Associations and Public Interest Incorporated Foundation (Act No. 49 of 2006)[18]
  5. A "regular" member is defined by the JSA as those who are recognized as members in good standing by the board of directors. More specifically, they are as follows: (1) all shogi professionals (ranked 4 dan or higher); and (2) all JSA member women professional title holders or women professionals ranked 4 dan or higher.[23]
  6. Tanigawa resigned as president to take responsibility for the JSA's mishandling of the 29th Ryu-oh challenger controversy. Tanigawa submitted his resignation in January 2017, but agreed to remain on as caretaker until a new president could be chosen on February 6, 2017.[21]

References
  1. Fairbairn, John (1986). Shogi for beginners (2nd ed.). Ishi Press. ISBN 978-4-8718-720-10.
  2. Cannon, Garland (1996). Warren, Nicholas (ed.). The Japanese Contributions to the English Language: An Historical Dictionary. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag. pp. 212–213. ISBN 3-447-03764-4 – via Google Books.
  3. Lundstrom, Harold (May 28, 1993). "Technology Keeps Japanese Chess Going Strong". Deseret News. Meanwhile, back in the future, Shogi is played on computers with the full blessing of the nation's highest arbiter of the game, the Japan Shogi Federation.
  4. Kirkup, James (August 17, 1992). "Obituary: Yasuharu Oyama". The Independent. An international bulletin devoted to the game, "Shogi World", first appeared in January 1976, jointly published by Ishi Press International (Mountain View, California) and the Japan Shogi Federation, the official body that oversees the activities of 15 million players in Japan.
  5. "Japanese Government Policies in Education, Science, Sports and Culture 2000: Chapter 1 Japanese Culture Today, Section 2 Aspects of Japanese Culture - 2. Position on Various Cultural Activities: (8) Go and Shogi". Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. November 2000. Retrieved September 16, 2015. In terms of national organizations, there is the Nihon Ki-in for go and the Japan Shogi Association for shogi, and both groups are working to popularize these games.
  6. "Shogi pros warned not to play computers". The Japan Times. October 16, 2005. Retrieved December 12, 2016. Professional shogi players have been told not to compete against computer programs in public without permission from their association in the face of emerging competitive software, association officials said Saturday. The Japan Shogi Association says it will respond discreetly if such a match offer is made.
  7. Hosking, Tony (1997). The Art of Shogi. Stratford-upon-Avon, England: The Shogi Foundation. p. 4. ISBN 978-0953108909.
  8. Hosking 1997, p. 5.
  9. "Sōritsu - Enkaku" 創立・沿革 [Establishment/History] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
  10. https://www.shogi.or.jp/history/story/index08.html
  11. https://www.shogi.or.jp/column/2017/06/post_188.html
  12. Hisao, Hirotsu (1980). Translated by Fairbairn, John. "The secret history of the .... encounter at Tenryu Temple: Sakata vs Hanada". Shogi (26): 17–20.
  13. Hodges, George, ed. (1983). "Nihon Shogi Renmei". Shogi (41): 20.
  14. "Masume ni Chanto Hachijūichi Shūnen/Nihon Shōgi Renmei" マス目にちなんで81周年／日本将棋連盟 [Japan Shogi Association 81st Anniversary: Exact number of squares on a shogi board]. Shikoku News (in Japanese). November 20, 2005. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  15. "Soshiki Gaiyō: Mokuteki - Unei" 組織概要-目的・運営 [Organizational overview: Aims and Operation] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Archived from the original on July 9, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  16. "Soshiki Gaiyō - Jigyō Gaiyō" 組織概要-事業概要 [Organizational overview: Activities] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Archived from the original on July 9, 2014. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  17. "Kōeki Shadan Hōjin Nihon Shōgi Renmei - Teikan: Dai Ni Shō Dai Yon Jō (Jigyō)" 公益社団法人日本将棋連盟-定 款: 第2章第4条 (事業) [Japan Shogi Association By-laws: Chapter 2, Article 4 (Activities)] (PDF) (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 16, 2013. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  18. "Act on Authorization of Public Interest Incorporated Associations and Public Interest Incorporated Foundations (Act No. 49 of 2006)" (PDF). Cabinet Secretariat of the Japanese Government. June 2, 2006. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  19. "Shozaichi・Otoiawasesake Ichiran" 所在地・お問い合わせ先一覧 [Location/Contact information] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Archived from the original on December 31, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
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  21. "Shogi ass'n names new chief after defamation scandal". Mainichi Shimbun. February 6, 2017. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
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  24. "Kōeki Shadan Hōjin Nihon Shōgi Renmei - Teikan: Dai Yon Shō (Sōkai)" 公益社団法人日本将棋連盟-定 款: 第4章 (総会) [Japan Shogi Association By-laws: Chapter 4, (General Meetings)] (PDF) (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 16, 2013. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
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  39. "SHOGI wo Sekai e !" SHOGIを世界へ！ [Shogi around the world]. 将棋フォーカス [Shogi Focus] (in Japanese). October 26, 2014. Event occurs at 21:17. NHK Educational TV. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  40. "Tokugawa Ieyasu Kōkenshō Yonhyakunen Kinen Jigyō Dai Rokkai Kokusai Shōgi Fōramu in Shizuoka Kaisai Gaiyō" 徳川家康公顕彰四百年記念事業 第6回国際将棋フォーラムin静岡 開催概要 [Event Celebrating 400th Anniversary of Tokugawa Ieyasu] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. March 11, 2014. Archived from the original on September 12, 2014. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  41. Grimbergen, Reijer. "The 1st International Shogi Forum". Reijer Grimbergen's Shogi Page. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
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  46. "Dai Nanakai Kokusai Shōgi Fōramu in Kitakyūshū Kaisai Hōkoku" 第7回国際将棋フォーラムin 北九州 開催報告 [7th International Shogi Forum in Kitakyushu: Event Report] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. November 10, 2017. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  47. "Dai Gokai Kokusai Shōgi Fōramu Repōto" 第5回国際将棋フォーラム レポート [5th Shogi International Forum Report]. Japan Shogi Association. November 14, 2011. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  48. "Kaigai Taikyoku no Reikishi" 海外対局の歴史 [History of major title match games held overseas] (in Japanese). Yomiuri Shimbun and Japan Shogi Association. 17 October 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  49. "Dai Nijūnanaki Ryūōsen Nanaban Shōbu" 第27期竜王戦七番勝負 [27th Ryūō 7-game Match] (in Japanese). Yomiuri Shimbun and Japan Shogi Association. Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
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