Photo/Illutration The new shogi hall is located in this building. The photo was taken in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward on Sept. 8. (Kazumasa Sugimura)

"Shogi" fans have a new destination to flock to in the capital where they can play the traditional game and attend commentary and lecture sessions to improve their games.

The Japan Shogi Association showed off its new shogi hall to the media on Sept. 8 located on the first floor of a four-story building in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward. 

“We hope to make this building a center of the shogi world where many people will visit and enjoy,” said Yoshiharu Habu, head of the association, as he greeted the media at the ceremony.

The new shogi hall is located a two-minute walk from Sendagaya Station in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward.

The first floor has 12 rooms for playing shogi games including a spacious 21 tatami mat-size special game room, as well as rooms where players can use chairs instead of sitting in "seiza," or Japanese sitting style with the legs folding underneath them, considering the players’ health.

In addition, the floor offers the Kinone space, which will feature a cafe, a souvenir shop and an area for various purposes, including lectures, commentary sessions, practices and more. The Kinone floor will open on Oct. 1.

The current shogi hall was built in 1976 and is located a seven-minute walk from Sendagaya Station.

Since the building has seismic resistance issues, the association decided to relocate to the new site. 

Playing shogi in the new hall is scheduled to start from January.

In addition, Sept. 8 marked the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Japan Shogi Association with a memorial ceremony held at another location in Tokyo.

Habu, a 9-dan professional and one of the game's greatest players, expressed his gratitude to the public, saying, “Thanks to the many people who wish to preserve shogi as one of Japan's cultural treasures, the association is able to celebrate its 100th anniversary.”

Related News