Japanese Chess – Shogi – 将棋
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Category: Shogi Orgs

Shogi organizations, places, and websites that attract shogi enthusiasts.

  • ABEMA Tournaments in Shogi: Format, Highlights, and Impact

    By Galo S Mirth

    ABEMA tournaments changed how many fans experience professional shogi. Instead of a long time-control game in a traditional hall, viewers get fast Fischer-clock battles, team strategy, and live drama designed for streaming audiences.

    This article explains how ABEMA tournaments developed, what format made them stand out, and why they had real impact on modern fan culture.

    How ABEMA tournaments started

    The first event began in 2018 as AbemaTVトーナメント Inspired by 羽生善治. The concept was a short-time, broadcast-friendly format with increment, now commonly described as Fischer style in Japanese coverage. Early editions were individual events, and from the 3rd edition the tournament shifted to team competition.

    That shift was important. Team drafts, lineup mind games, and match-order decisions gave fans a new way to follow players across a full season instead of only one title match at a time.

    Format and rules that changed the viewing experience

    ABEMA tournament matches are built for speed. A common setup is 5 minutes plus 5 seconds increment per move. This creates tense endgames while still allowing enough time for quality play.

    • Fast tempo: each game can swing quickly, especially in byoyomi-like pressure moments.
    • Team strategy: in team editions, captain decisions and player order matter, not only board strength.
    • Draft storytelling: the draft meeting itself became part of the entertainment cycle.
    • Broadcast-first design: commentary, graphics, and serialized episodes made it easier for new fans to keep up.

    Highlights across editions

    As the format matured, ABEMA tournaments produced recurring rivalries and memorable team identities. Japanese records pages and summaries note repeated deep runs by top players and titleholders, and strong audience attention to draft choices and rematches.

    The project also expanded into related events such as women-centered and regional formats, showing that the core streaming model could be adapted for different audiences and narratives.

    Why ABEMA tournaments matter for modern shogi fandom

    ABEMA tournaments helped normalize a different way of following shogi: episode by episode, team by team, with heavy emphasis on live commentary and social reaction. For many viewers, this became an entry point before they moved into longer title-match coverage.

    In that sense, ABEMA tournaments did not replace traditional title culture. They complemented it, widened the funnel for new fans, and gave professional players a new stage with different competitive and media skills.

    Yoshiharu Habu at the International Shogi Forum
    Yoshiharu Habu, who was central to the original ABEMA tournament concept. Source: Wikimedia Commons, File:Habu_at_ISF_2011_03.JPG. Author: Shogiplayersru. License: CC BY-SA 3.0.

    Sources (Japanese)

    • Wikipedia日本語版「ABEMAトーナメント」: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABEMAトーナメント
    • ABEMA公式 将棋チャンネル: https://abema.tv/now-on-air/shogi
    • 将棋連盟100周年記念サイト（ABEMA地域対抗戦の案内含む）: https://www.shogi.or.jp/100th/
    • Wikipedia日本語版「フィッシャー方式」: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/フィッシャー方式

  • The Japan Shogi Association: History, Milestones, and Institutional Successes

    By Galo S Mirth

    The Japan Shogi Association, or Nihon Shogi Renmei, is the institution at the center of professional shogi in modern Japan. It oversees title systems, professional development, public promotion, and major official records.

    This article gives a practical historical overview and highlights institutional milestones that shaped today’s shogi world. (more…)

  • Recent Outreach and Programs from the Japan Shogi Association: Initiatives and Personal Impact

    By Galo S Mirth

    In recent years, the Japan Shogi Association has expanded outreach beyond traditional title-match audiences. Programs for children, regional communities, beginners, and online viewers have become a visible part of how the game is promoted.

    This article reviews major outreach directions and adds examples of personal impact reported in Japanese community writing.

    Youth and school-facing programs

    JSA-supported school events, beginner lessons, and entry-level materials have helped younger players encounter shogi in structured settings. Regional classes and child-focused events lower the barrier for families who do not already have a shogi background. (more…)

  • Women’s Shogi Circuit: Visibility Growth and Improvements Over the Years

    By Galo S Mirth

    Visibility for women’s shogi did not rise from one event alone. It grew through layered changes in tournament structure, sponsor commitment, media formats, and fan access. Looking at official tournament and organization records, the pattern is clear: the women’s circuit moved from limited spot coverage to a year round ecosystem with stronger branding and broader public reach.

    From a smaller footprint to a multi title circuit

    The Japan Shogi Association’s current women’s tournament list shows a broad official circuit, including 白玲戦, 清麗戦, マイナビ女子オープン, 女流王座戦, 女流名人戦, 女流王位戦, 女流王将戦, and 倉敷藤花戦. This breadth matters for visibility because each title adds additional league rounds, match days, and news cycles across the year, instead of concentrating attention into one short period. (more…)

  • Japanese Organizations That Shape Shogi

    A Shogi Map: 5 Japanese Organizations That Shape the Game

    If you’ve been watching shogi online or learning the rules at home, you’ve probably wondered: “Who runs all this?” In Japan, shogi is not only a game. It’s a whole culture, with leagues, events, teachers, and big community networks.

    Below are five major shogi organizations (and one big network) that you’ll see again and again when you explore Japanese shogi life. I’m not ranking them. This is just a helpful “map.”

    Heads up: these sites are mostly Japanese. Your browser’s translate button can do a lot.

    Quick “Japanese site survival” tips

    • Look for dates like 2025/12/16 or 2025年12月16日. That’s usually what’s new.
    • Words you’ll see everywhere: 棋戦 (tournament), 対局 (game), 棋士 (pro), 女流 (women’s pro), 大会 (event), 支部 (branch).
    • Don’t overthink it. Even with rough translation, you can usually spot: who is playing, where, and when.

    (more…)

  • Five Japanese-Only Shogi Sites English Fans Are Missing

    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:

    1. Open the page and turn on browser translate.
    2. Ignore the paragraphs and hunt for the menu words. (棋譜, 中継, ブログ, etc.)
    3. 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. (more…)