The Banishment Scandal (破門案)
Death of a Titan
In 1913, Iwasaki Kenzo, the former president of Hoensha, passed away at the age of seventy-two. Though remembered for his stubbornness and authoritarian leadership, Iwasaki had undeniably guided Hoensha from obscurity to influence. While not a genius on the board, his skill as a commentator was unmatched—his game reviews were universally praised by the Japanese Go world.
The Rise of Honinbo Shusai
In 1914, Honinbo Shusai (formerly Tamura Yasuhisa) achieved a stunning ten-game winning streak in the Yorozu Choho knockout tournament. At 41, he was unanimously recognized by his disciples as deserving of the title Meijin and 9-dan. By this point, Shusai’s prowess was unassailable. However, every great player meets his natural rivals: for Shusai, these were Segoe Kensaku and Suzuki Tamejirō.
Shusai and Segoe played eleven games, from a three-stone handicap to even—Shusai never won once. Suzuki Tamejirō, meanwhile, despite being just 4-dan at the time, consistently defeated Shusai. Ironically, Suzuki often lost badly to players like Nozawa Takeasa, who in turn was dominated by Shusai. Such was the complexity of high-level rivalries.
Shusai’s Favorite Victory
One such game against Nozawa took place in July 1913. Though Nozawa received two stones, Shusai won by a single point. He later called this his most satisfying match. “The game I played against Nozawa in July of Taishō 2,” he once said, “may not be my greatest achievement, but it is certainly my proudest.” The victory had symbolic weight—Shusai became Meijin the following year, and this win helped secure that honor.
The Origins of the Scandal: ‘Critique of the Critiques’
After becoming Meijin, Shusai refused to participate in tournaments or newspaper games, citing his elevated status. However, he remained deeply involved in paid lectures and commentary. With every paper vying for his analysis, demand grew faster than his ability to supply quality. Inevitably, mistakes crept in.
In 1918, the journal Igo Hyōron (囲碁評論) launched a column called “Critique of the Critiques,” written by 5-dan player Nozawa Takeasa. Nozawa openly re-evaluated the analyses of senior players—particularly Shusai, Nakagawa Chiji, and Hirose Heijirō—pointing out errors and offering alternative lines. While Nakagawa and Hirose took it in stride, Shusai was outraged. He issued a formal order for Nozawa to stop.
Nozawa Rebels, the Honinbo Retaliates
Nozawa, notoriously stubborn, refused to back down. He believed in open discussion and saw Shusai’s ban as authoritarian overreach. While Igo Hyōron complied, Nozawa simply moved his column to another magazine. Furious, Shusai expelled Nozawa from the Honinbo school. Thus began what came to be known as the “Banishment Scandal” (破門案).
A Firestorm of Words
Nozawa, a brilliant writer and vicious satirist, tore into Shusai with biting essays. Shusai’s prestige made it impossible for him to respond in kind, and he was infuriated by the attacks. To make matters worse, one of his students, Inoue Kōhei, was heard praising Nozawa’s work aloud.
The Fall of Inoue Kōhei
Inoue, born in 1876, had once studied under both Iwasaki and Honinbo Shuei before becoming the first Japanese pro with a university degree. Despite rising to 4-dan, he had a notorious reputation. He frequently hustled amateur players for gambling stakes and used psychological tricks like trash talk to throw off opponents—tactics that irritated even fellow professionals. Already under scrutiny, Inoue’s vocal admiration for Nozawa was the last straw. Within three months of Nozawa’s expulsion, Shusai expelled Inoue as well.
Thus ended the careers of two of Go’s most colorful dissidents—both cast out not for losses on the board, but for words off it.
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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》)
