By Galo S Mirth
Shogi in 2017 is remembered for two huge stories. First, Fujii Sota’s 29 game winning streak became a national headline and brought many new fans into the game. Second, Habu Yoshiharu won the 30th Ryuo title match and completed the first ever Eisei 7 crown achievement. It was a year where a new generation arrived while a historic champion reached a peak milestone.
By Galo S Mirth
2016 was one of those years when several shogi timelines overlapped. A new Meijin took the crown, major title matches stayed fiercely competitive, women’s title storylines kept moving, and a 14-year-old future superstar entered the professional ranks. Looking back now, it reads like a hinge year between the Habu-centered 2000s and the new era that followed.
By Galo S Mirth
In 2009, the modern shogi title scene featured dramatic seven game finishes in the Meijin and Oi, and a dominant sweep in the Ryuo. Below is a compact English recap of the year, with Japanese sources for readers who want to dig deeper.
By Galo S Mirth
In the 2007 shogi season (April 2007 to March 2008), the title picture mixed long running dynasties with a few sharp turning points: Toshiyuki Moriuchi kept the Meijin, Akira Watanabe continued his early run as Ryuo, and Koichi Fukaura captured his first major title by taking the Oi from Yoshiharu Habu.
The professional ranks gained several names who would later become central figures in the 2010s:
By Galo S Mirth
Shogi in 2005 featured a successful defense of the Meijin by Toshiyuki Moriuchi, another Ryuo defense by Akira Watanabe, and an especially busy year for Yoshiharu Habu, who held or won several major titles. This article summarizes the headline results and a few notable storylines from the year.
Note on seasons: Professional shogi title matches often span two calendar years. For consistency, I cite each title by its numbered term (for example, “the 18th Ryuo”) and the official season label used by Japanese sources.
| Title | Term | Champion (result) | Challenger | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryuo | 18th | Akira Watanabe (defended) | Kazuki Kimura | 4-0 |
| Meijin | 63rd | Toshiyuki Moriuchi (defended) | Yoshiharu Habu | 4-3 |
| Oi | 46th | Yoshiharu Habu (defended) | Yasumitsu Sato | 4-3 |
| Oza | 53rd | Yoshiharu Habu (defended) | Yasumitsu Sato | 3-0 |
| Kio | 30th | Yoshiharu Habu (won title) | Koji Tanigawa | 3-0 |
| Osho | 55th | Yoshiharu Habu (defended) | Yasumitsu Sato | 4-3 |
| Kisei | 76th | Yasumitsu Sato (defended) | Yoshiharu Habu | 3-2 |
In the 18th Ryuo match, Akira Watanabe defeated Kazuki Kimura by four straight wins to defend the title. Japanese sources also note that this defense triggered Watanabe’s promotion to 9-dan.
The 63rd Meijin match went the distance. Toshiyuki Moriuchi defeated Yoshiharu Habu 4-3 to defend the Meijin title, underscoring just how narrow the margin at the very top can be even between long-time rivals.
Yoshiharu Habu defended both the 46th Oi and the 53rd Oza against Yasumitsu Sato, by 4-3 and 3-0 respectively. Earlier in the year, Sato defended the 76th Kisei against Habu 3-2. Their repeated high-stakes matches are one of the clearest through-lines of the 2005 season.