Women's Professional Go Player Transfer

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Sota Fujii, 23, a seven-time winner of the Satoru Fujii championship, made headlines when he raised questions in a discussion about the Japanese Shogi Federation's new system of incorporating female players into the professional ranks. This matter is summarized below.

1. overview of the new system

Description: The Japan Shogi Association approved by a majority vote at its general meeting on June 6, 2025, a new system under which a female player who has won the highest women's title "Hakurei" for a total of five terms and has been given the title of "Queen Hakurei" will be granted professional Go player (4-dan) status. This system will apply to the Hulic Cup Hakurei Tournament, which will begin on August 30, 2025, and is intended to accelerate the birth of female professional Go players.

Background: Traditionally, to become a professional Go player, one had to win the 3-dan league by the age of 25 at an incentive association, a narrow gate that only allows 4 people to be promoted each year. The number of female professionals is small, and no female professionals have yet been born through the incentive society. Top level female professionals (e.g. Tomoka Nishiyama, Kana Fukuma) tried to enter the professional ranks but failed to pass the exam, so a new route was needed.

Objective: To promote gender equality in Shogi and expand opportunities for women to play the game. Also, to address the declining population of Shogi (approximately 4.6 million according to the 2023 Leisure White Paper, and declining) and to revitalize the sport.

2. statement by Sota Fujii

Remarks: At the June 6 professional Go Association meeting, Fujii Shankan sat in the front row and said in front of new President Shimizu Ichidai and former President Hanyu Zenji, "Is your Go ability guaranteed? He questioned whether the system under which a woman professional player can automatically become a professional player after five terms of Hakurei is a sufficient guarantee of her professional ability.

Situation: The remarks reportedly caused a sense of tension in the room and surprised everyone present. The director in charge of the project repeatedly gave a "pass-by explanation," and Fujii reportedly looked unconvinced.

Intent: Fujii's statement emphasizes the importance of maintaining the meritocracy of the shogi world and the level of professional shogi players. It is said that he was concerned about the efforts of professionals who had won the tough competition in the incentive groups and the fairness of the level of competition among professional players as a whole. It was not intended to be sexist, but to question the validity of the system design.

3. background of the discussion and pros and cons

Pros:.

Pros:.

The new system will promote the birth of female professional chess players and contribute to the diversity and vitality of the shogi world. With the current low number of female competitors and the high hurdles of the Shogi-Shogi-Kai, a new route is needed (Shogi writer Hirofumi Matsumoto).

Opposing Views:.

The rating of Women's Go players (about 1400) is around 150th out of 170 active players, and it is questioned whether they can reach the standard of professional players. Some say that the current professional transfer examination (which requires passing a match against a professional player) is a better guarantee of their playing ability.

X criticized the special route as "a preferential system that makes no sense in the world of merit" and "an insult to women.

Confusion with gender theory: Although Fujii's comments were misunderstood by some as "discrimination against women," and there were reactions such as "I'll be beaten by janitors" on X, the comments were focused on the fairness of the system, not on gender. Many have pointed out that we should avoid shifting the issue to gender issues.

4. reactions and future impact

Shogi Fans' Reaction: X was a mixed reaction, with some supporting Fujii's statement, saying it was "well said" and "cool," and others actively discussing their concerns about the ambiguity of the criteria for playing ability. On the other hand, there were also those who welcomed the system and hoped that women would play an active role.

Shogi Issues: The new system symbolizes the future of the chess world, which wavers between tradition and innovation. The balance between maintaining the meritocracy and expanding opportunities for women is at the core of the discussion. Further discussion is expected before the start of the Hulic Cup Hakurei Tournament (August 30, 2025).

Fujii's position: While Fujii's comments have been sympathetic to younger players and appreciated as a stance to protect the competitive nature of the shogi world, it has also been pointed out that they may antagonize some of the federation executives and women's professionals.

5. summary

Sota Fujii Shichikan's statement questioning the new system for transferring female professionals to the professional ranks to "guarantee their playing ability" has highlighted the debate over the balance between the meritocracy and gender equality in the shogi world. While the system promotes women's success, the ambiguity of the playing ability standards and concerns about fairness have caused controversy among fans and professionals. Fujii's statement is not sexist, but rather emphasizes the importance of maintaining the standard of competition, and provides an opportunity to consider tradition and innovation in the shogi world. The validity of the system will be verified in the future through the results of the Hakurei Tournament and further discussions.

Note: Information is based on reports as of August 8, 2025. Trends should continue to be monitored closely.

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