By Galo S Mirth
Tomoka Nishiyama won the Universal Cup 52nd Jooryu Meijin best-of-five and took the title from Kana Fukuma in February 2026. The official match table on the Japan Shogi Association side records a 3-0 result for Nishiyama, with wins in Games 1, 2, and 3, so the series ended before Games 4 and 5.
By Galo S Mirth
Kana Fukuma, one of the most decorated women’s professionals in modern shogi, has announced that she will take the professional admission exam (棋士編入試験). The Japan Shogi Association news page framed this as a major institutional development and later added schedule details. For shogi fans, this is not just one player’s challenge. It is a high visibility test of the crossover path between the women’s title world and the open professional system.
On 2026-02-16, the Japan Shogi Association posted an official news item titled 「福間香奈女流六冠、棋士編入試験受験へ【日程追記あり】」. The wording itself signaled two things: first, that Fukuma would proceed to the exam, and second, that scheduling information would be updated as the process advanced. Because the exam is run under formal JSA procedures, timeline updates are expected to come through official JSA channels. (more…)
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.
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…)
By Galo S Mirth
2025 was another dense year in shogi. The title scene stayed intense, but the year also brought major structural and cultural changes, from prize-money realignment to women’s-title milestones and new records by younger players and non-professionals. This review highlights the most important developments from the Japanese shogi world across the 2025 calendar year.
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.