How the Castle Games Forged Japan’s Legendary Go Houses
When Go Became More Than a Game
After the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the great unifier Tokugawa Ieyasu took control of Japan, and with him came a new kind of order.
Ieyasu wasn’t just a military genius. He was a Go player, and a dedicated one at that.
Alongside him stood Honinbō Sansa (本因坊算砂)—the monk who had risen through the ranks to become Meijin, the highest title in the Go world.
Together, they transformed Go into a pillar of national culture.
The Birth of the Four Great Houses
Under Sansa’s guidance, four elite Go houses were established:
● Honinbō (本因坊)
● Yasui (安井)
● Inoue (井上)
● Hayashi (林)
Each house passed down skill, tradition, and power.
Each became a center of Go excellence.
Each began to compete not just on the board, but for control of the entire Go world.
The Castle Games: Where Power Was Played
Each year, the shogunate hosted the 御城碁 (Oshirogo), or Castle Games, inside Edo Castle. Masters from each house would play in front of the Shogun and his court.
These games weren’t just for show. They decided who would rise, who would fall, and who would hold the title of Meijin (名人).
Only one player in the country could be Meijin at a time.
And that changed everything.
Why the Meijin Title Was Everything
The Meijin wasn’t just the best player. The title came with real power:
● The Meijin controlled who could rank up and who couldn’t
● They helped decide how much rice (payment) each house received
● They held enormous influence with the shogunate
● Their house could recruit far more students, increasing wealth, prestige, and long-term power
If your house lost the Meijin title, you’d lose funding, status, and students.
You’d be pushed to the margins.
That’s why the Castle Games were so cutthroat.
It wasn’t just Go. It was survival.
The First Clash
According to the Keichō Nikki, the first Castle Game featured four titans:
● Honinbo Sansa (本因坊算砂) – the founder himself
● Kashio Rigen (鹿塩利玄) – a quiet but brilliant strategist
● Yasui Senkaku Senchi (安井仙角仙知) – heir to Senya’s Go legacy
● Nakamura Douseki (中村道碩) – Sansa’s star pupil and future founder of the Yasui House
The pressure was immense. Even Sansa only managed a 1-1 record.
The age of rivalry had officially begun.
When Korea’s Best Came Calling
Not long after, Korea’s top Go master, Lee Sasa (李祠史), arrived in Japan to test his skill.
Sansa, now Meijin, offered him a three-stone handicap.
They played.
Sansa won.
From that day on, it became custom:
Any foreigner who challenged Japan’s Meijin would begin with three stones on the board, no matter their rank.
The rule would last for generations.
A Game That Governed Lives
The Castle Games were not entertainment.
They were political. Financial. Personal. Go became a means of rising in society, building wealth, and securing a place in history.
The Four Great Houses became institutions.
The Meijin became kingmaker.
And every stone placed in Edo Castle echoed through generations.
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Copyright Notice
This English adaptation is based on Japanese Go Stories (《日本围棋故事》, 2016) by Xue Zhicheng (薛至诚).
For non-commercial use only: Shared for educational purposes under fair use.
Rights retained: All copyrights belong to the original author and cited sources.
Modifications: Minor narrative adjustments were made for readability; all historical content remains accurate.
No affiliation or endorsement: This work is independent and unaffiliated with the original author or publishers.
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References
Adapted from:
Xue Zhicheng (薛至诚), Japanese Go Stories (《日本围棋故事》), 2016.
Cited in original work:
Watanabe Hideo (渡辺英夫), Shin Zaigin Dansō (《新坐隱談叢》)
Watanabe Yoshimichi (渡部義通), Kodai Igo no Sekai (《古代囲碁の世界》)
Lin Yu (林裕), Weiqi Encyclopedia (《围棋百科辞典》)
