The Meteoric Rise of Segoe Kensaku
Blood on the Boards: Tokyo's Fiery Go Scene
While Honinbo Shusai (formerly Tamura Yasuhisa) clashed with Nakagawa Chiji in their high-profile matches, Nihon to Nihonjin magazine serialized these battles, stoking nationwide Go fervor. Editor Ono Keigi profited handsomely, and Go culture in Tokyo flourished. Among the various new Go clubs, one stood out: the "Young Warriors' Blood Battle Society" (少士棋客血戦会), founded by Itō Shunko, a disciple of Honinbo Shuei.
Held at the Tomoe Club in Kanda, this society hosted ferocious matches among players under 3-dan. The young men competed with thunderous slaps of the stones, and the air was thick with tension, cheers, curses, and even tears. These matches regularly drew crowds of enthusiastic onlookers.
A Mysterious Youth from Hiroshima
One day, a friend of Itō brought a modest, twenty-something youth to the club, hailing him as the Go king of Hiroshima. Skeptical, Itō arranged a test match with Kobayashi Kentarō, a 3-dan and son of Kobayashi Tetsujirō. Kobayashi played seriously, expecting to crush another regional upstart. But to everyone's shock, the young man won convincingly.
This prodigy was none other than Segoe Kensaku. Born in 1887, Segoe learned Go from his grandfather and trained through self-study—a rarity in the Go world. His grandfather's unorthodox system trained Segoe in nine-stone handicap games, progressing only after fifty complete games per level. After dominating Hiroshima prefecture and failing to attend university due to his father's financial collapse, Segoe set off for Tokyo in September 1908 to pursue professional Go.
Rejecting the Honinbo, Choosing a Rival
After his win, Itō Shunko praised Segoe and inquired about his intentions. Segoe admitted he hoped to join Honinbo Shusai's school. Horrified, Itō and the assembled players—most anti-Shusai Hoensha loyalists or former Kakyoku-kai members—pleaded with him to reconsider. Alarmed by Shusai's poor reputation and moved by their warnings, Segoe abandoned his Honinbo ambitions and joined the Hoensha instead, resolving to defeat Shusai one day.
Storming Tokyo: Wins Across the Board
Within a year at Hoensha, Segoe played 40-50 serious games and won over 80% of them, even defeating Shusai once with a three-stone handicap. His clash with Takabe Doppei in a newspaper match was especially legendary. Takabe, a major figure and Shusai loyalist, had been awarded 4-dan by Honinbo Shuei. Though Takabe insisted on a two-stone handicap, a compromise was reached: the game would count as "sen-ai-sen," advancing Segoe if he won.
Takabe appeared confident, dominating the early game. But in the midgame, his rush to settle shapes proved costly. Segoe struck with a brilliant tesuji at move 109, triggering a cascade of failures for white. After an all-night struggle that ended at 3 am, Segoe won by four points, solidifying his name.
The Suzuki Barrier
Shortly after, Segoe received his draft notice and sought a formal 3-dan certificate before leaving. President Iwasaki Kenzo challenged him: defeat Suzuki Tamejirō, and the title was his. Suzuki, a star player nicknamed the "Morning Sun General" (旭将軍), had just returned to Hoensha after briefly joining the Honinbo house. A dominant figure in the Yorozu Choho newspaper's knockout tournament, Suzuki had bested even Shusai.
The Six-Game Challenge
Segoe was given six games against Suzuki at sen-ai-sen; four wins were required for promotion. The stakes were immense. After five games, the score stood at 3-2 in Segoe's favor. In the final game, he held white. According to commentary published by Iwasaki in Hoensha Shinpo, Segoe's deep strategic vision triumphed. After 229 moves, he won by two points.
Triumph, Promotion, and a Rivalry Forged
Having cleared the Suzuki barrier, Segoe was granted 3-dan status and soon promoted to 4-dan. Interestingly, Suzuki would mirror Segoe's promotions up to 8-dan, until Segoe finally pulled ahead with an honorary 9-dan. Their parallel careers became a celebrated tale in the Go community.
A Changing of the Guard
In July 1912, Emperor Meiji passed away. Deeply affected, Iwasaki Kenzo wept openly and decided to retire. Yet the question of succession loomed. Though Hirose Heijirō was capable, his cunning made him unpopular. He had already offended Nakagawa Chiji by secretly taking a pupil, Katō Shin, despite a Hoensha rule against private disciples.
Ultimately, Iwasaki decided to recall Nakagawa and appoint him as Hoensha president. Hirose was appeased with a promotion to 6-dan. Nakagawa dissolved his Go Doshikai, rejoined Hoensha, and ushered in a new era.
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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.
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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》)
