The Final Flame of Genan
The Cliff’s Edge
After three crushing defeats at the hands of Honinbo Shuwa, Genan Inseki—head of the Inoue house—had reached his limit. He had gambled everything to claim the Meijin title and restore the glory of his house, only to find himself pushed further into the shadows with each match. His best disciples had failed. His alliances had collapsed. His final attempt at victory had ended with a missed chance, a single stone too far.
And now, alone on a cold winter night in the mountains behind the Inoue estate, Genan climbed toward the summit. The wind screamed through the branches like voices from his past. His feet, bloodied by the sharp rocks beneath, didn’t falter. When he reached the crest, he stood before the stone towers that housed the ashes of his house’s ancestors. There, under a thin moon, he knelt.
“I am Genan, the eleventh head of the Inoue house,” he whispered. “I have failed you all.”
With trembling hands, he reached for his sword. But it wasn’t there.
Gouzan’s Intervention
Just as Genan steadied himself to leap, a voice broke the wind.
“Master, stop!”
A blur of motion. A figure lunged forward and seized him mid-step. It was Mikami Gouzan, his loyal student. Gouzan had followed Genan that night, sensing something was wrong. He had waited in silence, then acted at the last possible moment.
Genan froze, stunned. His tears fell freely.
“You can’t do this,” Gouzan said. “Not now. Not like this.”
But Genan only shook his head, overcome by shame.
“You think of your name,” Gouzan said. “But what of ours? You’re our pillar. If you fall, the house falls.”
His words pierced deeper than any defeat.
Slowly, Genan stood. His death wish was gone. Something else had taken its place.
The Search for a Successor
Genan’s fire didn’t die that night. It changed shape. If he couldn’t destroy Honinbo Shuwa himself, then he would find someone who could. He set out not as a master, but as a seeker, wandering the country in search of the one disciple who might carry on his legacy.
It was a hopeless quest. Months passed with nothing to show. But in time, Genan reached Echizen, a coastal region west of Edo.
There he met Hompou Sotokichi, a former gambler turned Go enthusiast. Sotokichi, ever fond of bold characters, hosted Genan for a night of drinks and talk. When Genan spoke of his bitter duels with Shuwa and his search for a successor, Sotokichi listened with rising excitement.
By morning, he returned with a child. “This is Benji,” he said. “Eleven years old. Orphan. From Sado Island. They say he plays Go like a ghost.”
Genan sat down across from the boy and gave him five stones. Within 100 moves, Genan had lost. He stared in awe.
Benji had the gift.
The Disciple Named Benji
Benji’s talent wasn’t just raw instinct. He studied tirelessly. He remembered everything. His style was aggressive, efficient, and flexible. And to Genan’s astonishment, he shared the same past: orphaned young, raised by strangers, carrying fire in silence.
Genan took him in at once, naming him his disciple and halting his travels entirely. Within a year, Benji was already playing at a solid 2-dan level. Genan believed he had finally found the one.
But fate wasn’t finished with him.
One summer, Benji traveled alone to visit acquaintances in Echigo. He never returned. Days later, his body was found near the riverbank. There were bruises on his arms. The authorities ruled it an accident, but the marks told a different story.
Murder.
A Murder Without Justice
The Go world reeled. A child with no enemies, no wealth, no scandal—killed without reason. Rumors erupted. Some blamed the Honinbo house. Others pointed to jealous rivals within the Inoue ranks. Even Genan himself wondered if it had come from within.
But there was no proof. No suspects. No answers.
It became one of the great mysteries in Go history.
Genan collapsed upon hearing the news. His final hope was gone. The boy he thought would inherit everything had been taken from him. He shut himself away for weeks, refusing visitors, speaking to no one.
In the end, the fire went out.
Surrender
With no disciple to carry on his ambitions, Genan finally gave up the fight. He gave up the idea of vengeance. He gave up the dream of defeating Shuwa. Instead, he turned to his own house.
He named Umetarou as his heir. Umetarou took the name Shutetsu and became the twelfth head of the Inoue house.
Genan packed a small bag, left his family estate, and disappeared with Mikami Gouzan. Together, the old master and his faithful student became travelers.
The bitter war between Honinbo and Inoue was over.
Not with a victory. But with silence.
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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.
Contact: For verification or takedown requests, please email help@zeejyan.com.
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》)
