NIPPON Kichi - 日本吉

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2007/2/16


天童城 Tendou-jyo Tendo Castle

Jp En

The remains of Tendo Castle (also known as Maizuru Castle) are located in Kitame, Tendo, in Yamagata Prefecture.

Tendo Castle was known as a natural stronghold because of its location on the summit of a mountain, enclosed by rigid cliffs on all sides and with a swamp to its north. Whoever wanted to reach the castle had to climb up a very steep slope.

The castle is said to have been built in 1375 by Mogami Yorinao, who had the Tendo family build it on Mt Maizuru. The Tendo family bravely fought against Mogami Yoshimitsu, who strove to unify Dewa, however, over two generations they were defeated, leading to the eventual downfall and collapse of Tendo Castle in 1584.

The Tendo clan, deprived of the power and respect it once had, fell into a dismal state. By the time the Oda family moved to Teno in 1830, the Tendo clan were engaged as craftsmen making pieces for the game of shogi.

At the end of the Edo period, the karo (top-ranking samurai officials and advisors in service to the daimyo of feudal Japan) encouraged the hanshi (vassals of the Daimyo) to make pieces for shogi as well.

The castle ruins became the Mt Maizuru park, and the Atago shrine, which Yoshiaki built at the ruins after his victories still remain here. Every year in April, an interesting event takes place on Mr Maizuru called 'human shogi'. Professional shogi players become the actual game pieces.

Tendo Castle is a historic spot, now famous as the town of Shogi.
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2007/1/19


人間将棋 Ningen-syougi Shogi with Human 'Pieces'

Jp En

A game of shogi (Japanese chess) with human pieces forms part of the Tendo Sakura Festival. This festival takes place annually on Mt Maizuru in Tendo, Yamagata Prefecture.

The Tendo district is deeply related to the game of shogi. For example, 95% of the shogi pieces are made here. The idea of having games of shogi with human players has its origin in a story that Toyotomi Hideyoshi played shogi against Toyotomi Hidetsugu by using his subordinates as pieces. The tradition has passed down ever since. The different people who 'play' the pieces wear armor or period costumes and have the audiences tell them which role they are in the game.

Every year, the shogi game takes place on Mt Maizuru at a time when over 2000 cherry trees are in blossom. The combination of cherry blossoms with a game of shogi in which professional shogi players use human pieces makes a compelling event. It is a splendid yet stern occasion that charms many citizens and visitors.
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2006/12/15


将棋遊び Shougi-asobi Shogi Game

Jp En

Shogi is a Japanese chess game using a board and 40 pieces. In the formal type of the game called Hon-Shogi, the game is played between two players of Sente (the first player) and Gote (the opponent player). The two players alternate taking turns and the game is won when a king is captured. The pieces are divided into eight kinds, each of which is moved or captured according to the rule defined to each piece. The appeal of Shogi lies in the process of running the king to ground by capturing the opponent pieces and using it as the friendly pieces or promoting the pieces to add them different movement. Other than Hon-Shogi, there are some variants such as Hasami-Shogi (sandwiching shogi), in which the game is won when the agreed number of pieces are captured, or Mawari-Shogi for children, in which players cast four king pieces move according to how the piece fall.
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2006/11/29


前沢碁盤店 Maezawa-gobanten 

Jp En

The Maezawa Go-Board Shop was established close to 130 years ago, and is one of the oldest shops in Japan to specialize in go and shogi boards. The shop first opened its doors to customers in the early Meiji period. The founder was a craftsman from the Edo period, and it is recalled even to this day that his unrelenting intensity and rigour when carving go and shogi boards was tremendous. The current shopkeeper Michio Maezawa is the fourth generation. The distinguished craftsmanship that the shop has been famous for sees no signs of abating even now in the Heisei period, and proves that the skills passed down from great grandfather, grandfather and father, have been rightly inherited. As it always has been, the craftsman completes every single piece of work by hand, investing many hours and much of his soul. The material for the board comes from Japanese kaya, which is strictly hand picked by the craftsman himself. The kaya is stored for over 10 years and even then only  the one most right for crafting is chosen by the master. The intense selection that the boards go through means only the finest of quality is offered. The go-board that is currently used during the Fukasogi Ceremony of the Imperial Palace is one that had been presented by the Maezawa Go-Board Shop during the 39th year of the Showa period.
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