The Honinbo-Hoensha War
The Fallen Phoenix: Shuei’s Struggle
The Honinbo house, once the crown jewel of Japanese Go, lay in ruins. The Meiji Restoration had stripped it of government support, and years of mismanagement had drained its coffers. Honinbo Shuei, the newly appointed 17th head, inherited a legacy on the brink of collapse. The estate was mortgaged, disciples had fled, and creditors circled like vultures.
The inkstone sat untouched in the dim light of Honinbo Shuei's study. Shuei's fingers trembled not from cold, but from exhaustion as he carefully painted another intricate pattern onto his threadbare kimono sleeve. The fabric had worn so thin that he'd taken to reinforcing the faded designs with ink and watercolors, creating the illusion of finery for his rare public appearances.
A politicician named Gotō Shōjirō invited Shuei to his house and talk about the Honinbo House. Shuei, had nothing to wear, decided to wear his hand-drawn kimono to preserve his last dignity. On the way to Gotō’s house, the sudden downpour had revealed his painted kimono for the desperate ruse it was, the colors running down his arms like tears as the everyone stared in stunned silence-But he still had to visit Gotō to find a way to save Honinbo House.
After seeing Shuei’s outfit and hearing about what Honinbo House is going through, Gotō and other sympathizers—Inukai Tsuyoshi, Toyama Mitsuru—provided a huge amount of emergency funds. With this lifeline, Shuei began rebuilding, stone by stone.
The Hoensha’s Arrogance
News of Honinbo’s revival reached Murase Shuho, leader of the rival Hoensha. Once a fellow outcast, Shuho now presided over Japan’s most powerful Go organization. He warned his disciples:
"Shuei’s strength is not in flashy moves, but in endurance. He plays like winter—slow, inevitable, and merciless. We have to keep an eye on Honinbo House."
But Takahashi Koshichiro, a brash 5-dan, scoffed.
"Shuei? That pauper? I’ll crush him with ease!"
Kobayashi Tetsujirou, still bitter over past defeats to Shuei, fed Takahashi’s arrogance:
"He’s weak in joseki. Attack early, and he’ll collapse."
The First Duel: Pride Before the Fall
The challenge was issued. When the match began, spectators packed the room—reporters, politicians, even foreign diplomats.
Takahashi, playing White, opened with aggressive overplays, trying to overwhelm Shuei. Takahashi treated Shuei as if he was an ameteur player. But the Honinbo master absorbed each blow, his Black stones forming an unshakable fortress. By move 171, Takahashi’s position was in ruins.
As he resigned, the crowd erupted—not in cheers, but in murmurs of disbelief. The Hoensha’s reputation had been publicly humiliated.
Nakagawa’s Reckoning
Nakagawa Kamesaburou, the Hoensha’s vice-president, stepped forward to salvage their honor. A 7-dan against Shuei’s 5-dan, he should have dominated.
But Shuei was no longer the cautious player of old.
Black 51: A merciless strike at White’s center.
Move 80: Nakagawa, desperate, abandoned his central stones—a fatal misjudgment.
Black 123: The killing blow, threatening a corner ko. Nakagawa bowed his head in defeat.
Two losses. The Hoensha was in crisis.
Shuho’s Resolve
Shuho, though grieving the recent death of Mizutani Hoji, knew he had to act. He announced a 10-game showdown.
Game 1 (December 21, 1884)
Shuei opened with the classic 1-3-5 opener, while Shuho countered with White 10, a revolutionary probe. The battle raged until Black 149, a tesuji that annihilated White’s group.
Shuho, nursing a fever, had lost. The Hoensha trembled.
Games 2-4 (January 1885)
But Shuho was not done. Recovered and razor-focused, he struck back:
Game 2: A masterclass in endgame, winning by 8 points.
Game 3: Territory-first strategy, +2.
Game 4: Psychological warfare, +4.
By Game 8, Shuho led by two wins, proving his supremacy. Yet Shuei’s resilience in Game 5 reminded the world—Honinbo was not dead yet.
The Legacy
The war changed everything:
Honinbo’s Honor Restored: Shuei proved traditional mastery still had teeth.
Hoensha Humbled: Shuho acknowledged that innovation alone couldn’t defeat deep-rooted skill.
A New Rivalry: The battles laid groundwork for Japan’s unified ranking system.
As the final stones were counted, both men knew—this was not the end.
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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》)
