Photo/Illutration Ryo Ichiriki shows off his trophy on Sept. 8 in Shanghai. (Koji Ode)

This time, go professional Ryo Ichiriki could hold back the tears at the recent closing ceremony for the Ing Cup and smile at his momentous breakthrough. 

He became the first Japanese to grab a major title in the board game’s global circle in 19 years at the tournament in China. 

Japan has long lagged behind South Korea and China in go competitions.

“This victory represents a long-cherished dream for not only me but also Japan,” said Ichiriki, 27. “I never lost sight of my goal to be the one to claim this honor.”

In 2022, Ichiriki prevented the triple-titled Yuta Iyama, Japan’s leading go player, from winning his 10th consecutive Kisei championship.

Iyama failed to secure his 12th victory in a row for the Honinbo crown the following year as he lost to Ichiriki as well.

As this marked a generational shift in the field of go, Ichiriki has since been well aware of the role he must play as Japan’s top player. And his firm determination has been apparent even to those around him.

At the Asian Games in China’s Hangzhou last year, Ichiriki served as the captain of Japan’s national team.

He lost to players from China and South Korea in the individual division, finishing fourth. Despite achieving the highest finish among Japanese contestants, Ichiriki couldn't hold back his tears in front of news reporters.

Retracing his career, Ichiriki seems to have grown stronger each time he wiped his eyes.

When he was an elementary school fifth-grader, Ichiriki traveled to South Korea with his dojo-mates for practice. He was beaten by his rivals there in bilateral go matches.

He similarly emerged as a loser in a soccer game and a relay race organized for friendship.

Crying in regret, Ichiriki asked his dojo master, who accompanied the young go players on their trip, “what we, Japanese, can do” to defeat their rivals outside their country.

During his second year of college, Ichiriki challenged the undisputed champion Iyama at three consecutive competitions. His aim was to snatch some of the seven titles dominated by his rival.

Ichiriki was, however, unable to knock out Iyama in any competition, suffering 10 straight losses.

Ichiriki heard his voice tremble with his cheeks wet in an interview for the TV documentary “Jonetsu Tairiku,” when the program closely followed his trajectory as a rising star in go.

Born as the sole child of the founding family of the major Kahoku Shimpo newspaper in the northeastern Tohoku region, Ichiriki graduated from college and became a journalist while playing go professionally.

Ichiriki was appointed as a board member of Kahoku Shimpo this past spring. It is unprecedented for a pro go player to conquer the world in the board game while employed in the workforce. 

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