The Rise of Three Go Factions: A New Era Begins
A Star Student for Segoe Kensaku
While Honinbo Shusai and Karigane Junichi were still locked in a slow, bruising battle, Segoe Kensaku had an unexpected stroke of fortune. The gifted Kansai prodigy, Hashimoto Utaro, whom Segoe had long admired from afar, came knocking on his door, asking to become his student.
Originally, Hashimoto was under the care of Kubomatsu Katsukiyo, who always planned to send the boy to Tokyo for further training. Health concerns had delayed this plan for over a year. But after an earnest discussion with Segoe, Kubomatsu trusted that the warm-hearted Segoe would be an ideal mentor and sent Utaro to Tokyo. Segoe was ecstatic.
Suzuki and the Bid for Disciples
Not to be outdone, Suzuki Tamejiro, inspired by the arrival of Hashimoto, took it upon himself to write directly to Kubomatsu, asking for a talented pupil of his own. Kubomatsu, honored by the request, presented the idea to two promising disciples: Maeda Nobuaki and Kitani Minoru.
Maeda, being older and more aware of Honinbo Shusai's fame, chose to join the Honinbo house. The 12-year-old Kitani, with no fixed preference, left the decision to Kubomatsu, who then sent him to train under Suzuki. And so both boys traveled to Tokyo, each bound for a different future.
The Aftermath of a Stalled Spectacle
When Maeda and Kitani arrived in Tokyo, the Shusai-Karigane match had just concluded, with Shusai emerging victorious. However, the protracted match had lost public interest. What had once gripped the Go world ended in a whimper, and observers like Segoe saw it as a prime example of the dangers of open-ended, time-unrestricted games. Segoe began pushing for time control reform within the Hoensha.
Power Struggles in the Hoensha
Unbeknownst to Segoe, Hoensha's politics were also shifting. In mid-1920, Nakagawa Chiji had resigned due to health and frustration with Vice-President Hirose Heijiro. Before stepping down, he had recommended Hirose as the president and Segoe for the vice-president role. However, Hirose had his own ideas and postponed filling the position of vice-president, citing seniority politics. Hirose wanted his student, Katō Shin, to be vice-president.
When Segoe started pushing for reforms like time limits, Hirose suspected it was a political move to claim the vice-presidency. As a renowned long-thinker himself (one of the "Three Kings of Long Thinking," alongside Shusai and Iwasaki), Hirose had no interest in Segoe's proposals. Tensions rose.
The Seeds of Rebellion
Unwilling to drop the issue, Segoe persisted. He garnered support from Karigane and Suzuki, both of whom had reason to dislike Shusai's methods and backed the time control proposal. Still, Hirose refused. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Hirose’s servant, upset by his treatment, began revealing his disparaging remarks about Segoe and Suzuki. Enraged, Segoe and Suzuki began planning their exit.
Birth of the Hiseikai
In November 1922, Segoe, Karigane, Suzuki, and Takabe Doppei officially left the Hoensha and formed the "Hiseikai" (裨聖会). Their founding principles directly challenged traditional Go structures. They introduced time limits (initially 16 hours per player), tournament-based promotions, and a groundbreaking 4.5-point komi for Black in even games.
Shaking the Establishment
The Hiseikai reforms gained popularity among younger players, shaking both the Honinbo house and Hoensha to their core. Alarmed, Hirose grew ill and eventually resigned, appointing Iwasa Kei as president and Katō Shin as vice-president. But internal tension grew as younger members like Onoda Chiyotarō began openly supporting the Hiseikai.
Shusai Plots a Countermove
Shusai, ever the pragmatist, saw that reform was inevitable. He floated the idea of merging factions into a unified Central Go Institute (Chūō Ki-in). Lacking funds, he turned to Katō Shin. Through an emissary, Kobayashi Sōji, Katō was convinced to back the venture.
The Central Go Institute launched on January 21, 1923, in the Marunouchi building of the former Hoensha. It was an unlikely peace between old rivals.
The Inevitable Split
However, the alliance proved short-lived. Katō Shin, holding the financial reins, demanded management control, including Shusai's return to his former name, Tamura Yasuhisa. This was too much. On April 1, Katō took over the building, changed the signboard, and locked out the Honinbo members.
Shusai retaliated by mortgaging his home to raise 5,000 yen and reestablish the Central Go Institute in Nihonbashi. The split was complete. Tokyo’s Go world had become a battlefield of three rival factions.
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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》)
