If you only follow shogi in English, you’re seeing the game through a small window. English shogi websites are awesome, but most of the “main stage” is still in Japan. That means a lot of the biggest shogi pages are Japanese-only. They aren’t fully copied into English, and they don’t have a real English twin.
Here are five Japanese shogi sites that Japanese fans use all the time—and that English shogi sites can’t really replace. I’ll also show you what to click, even if your Japanese is close to zero.
A simple way to use Japanese shogi sites (even if you can’t read much)
This is my routine:
- Open the page and turn on browser translate.
- Ignore the paragraphs and hunt for the menu words. (棋譜, 中継, ブログ, etc.)
- Let the board do the talking. Even if you don’t understand the commentary, you can still follow the moves and the tension.
Now let’s jump in.
A tiny Japanese menu cheat sheet (save this)
You will see these words again and again:
- 棋譜 (kifu) = the move list / game record
- 中継 = live coverage
- 中継ブログ = live blog (photos + updates during the game)
- トーナメント表 = tournament bracket
- 過去の棋譜 = old game records / archive
- 応援掲示板 = “cheering” message board
- 新規対局 = new game
- 対局開始 = start game
- 設定 = settings
Tip: translate won’t always get names right. That’s fine. You’re here for the moves and the vibe.
1) ABEMA Shogi: live pro shogi like a real TV sport
ABEMA is one of the biggest places in Japan to watch shogi. It streams pro games and shogi shows with Japanese commentary. If you’ve only followed games by reading moves, ABEMA feels totally different: you get the pace of the day, the tension, and the “sports broadcast” energy.
How I use it
- I open the channel page and see what’s live.
- If nothing is live, I check the schedule (番組表).
- If you’re outside Japan, you might see a “not available in your region” message. That can happen with ABEMA streams.
- If you can’t follow the talk, focus on the board and the clock. You’ll still learn a lot from the flow of a real pro day.
Links
|
1 2 3 |
https://abema.tv/now-on-air/shogi https://abema.tv/timetable/channels/shogi |
2) live.shogi.or.jp: official title-match hubs with kifu + live blogs
This is one of the coolest “Japan-only” shogi experiences. Many top title events have their own official-style coverage pages with the same layout and tools:
- 棋譜中継 for the moves (often updated live)
- 中継ブログ for photos and on-the-scene notes
- トーナメント表 for brackets
- 過去の棋譜 for archives
English shogi sites sometimes summarize these matches, but they usually can’t match the full “day-of-game” coverage. The live blog is my favorite part. It often shows things like the playing room, the board setup, and even the players’ meals. It makes a match feel real.
How to use it
- Start on an event page (Ryūō, Kiō, etc.).
- Click 棋譜中継 if you want the moves.
- Click 中継ブログ if you want the story of the day.
- If you’re late, look for 過去の棋譜 to catch up.
Links
|
1 2 3 |
https://live.shogi.or.jp/ryuou/ https://live.shogi.or.jp/kiou/index.html |
3) 名人戦棋譜速報: fast Meijin/Juni coverage (often paywalled)
If ABEMA is the TV show, 名人戦棋譜速報 is the control room.
It focuses on the Meijin title match and the 順位戦 (Jun’i-sen) league. The whole site is built around fast kifu updates and serious commentary. It also has an 応援掲示板 where fans post live reactions. Even reading a few short posts can tell you, “Oh wow, something important just happened.”
One important detail: this is a paid service for full access, so you may hit a login wall. That’s normal. (And honestly, it’s nice to see shogi media that can get paid.)
Link
|
1 2 |
https://www.meijinsen.jp/ |
4) 5ch 将棋・チェス板 (bgame): the loudest shogi crowd on the internet
Every sport has a crowd. For a lot of Japanese shogi fans, that crowd is 5ch, an anonymous forum network. The 将棋・チェス板 is where people react to games in real time, argue about openings, talk about engines, and… yes, complain loudly.
This is not an “official” space, and it can be rough. Treat it like a noisy stadium: fun for the vibe, not always great for facts. Some threads are smart and focused. Others are pure chaos. You’ll know which is which pretty quickly.
How to use it without regret
- Read for reactions, not truth.
- If a thread is toxic, close it and move on.
- Don’t assume the loudest voice is the smartest voice.
Links
|
1 2 3 |
https://itest.5ch.net/subback/bgame https://mevius.5ch.net/bgame/ |
5) ぴよ将棋w (PiyoShogi Web): quick AI practice in your browser
If you want a Japanese tool you can actually use right now, open ぴよ将棋w. It’s the web version of a very popular shogi app. You can play against an AI in your browser, with lots of strength levels, and it even has daily tsume puzzles.
What makes it “Japanese-only” is the interface and the whole ecosystem around it. There isn’t an English website that is basically the same web app.
My quick-start steps
- Open the page.
- Click 新規対局 (new game).
- In the setup box, choose player vs computer.
- Click 対局開始 (start game).
- Want puzzles? Look for 実戦詰将棋.
Extra tip: in 設定, you can turn on a “move guide” (駒の動きガイド). That’s great if you’re still learning how pieces move.
Small warning: it saves things in your browser. If you clear your browser cache, you may lose saved games.
Link
|
1 2 |
https://www.studiok-i.net/ps/ |
One last thing
You don’t need fluent Japanese to enjoy Japanese shogi sites. Shogi itself is the shared language. Learn a few menu words, use browser translate, and you suddenly have a bigger world: live games, official match pages, and the real-time fan buzz that English sites can’t fully copy.
If you explore one of these and find something awesome, tell me. I’m always hunting for good shogi links.