The Hoensha's Dominance
Challenge from the Old Guard
By 1880, the Hoensha had become the undisputed center of Japanese Go. Its open tournaments drew crowds that the cloistered Four Great Houses could only envy, and its newspaper, The Go News, spread game records to enthusiasts across the country. Even foreign diplomats—Americans, British, and others—became regular spectators, drawn by the energy of this new era. The Four Houses, once mighty, now watched from the sidelines, their traditions crumbling like old parchment.
Kuroda Shunsetsu's Defiance
The resentment festering in the Inoue house finally erupted when Kuroda Shunsetsu, a former soldier turned Go player, marched into the Hoensha's headquarters. Kuroda was a man of rough edges—his kimono perpetually disheveled, his temper legendary. Years earlier, he had abandoned the board for the battlefield. He fought in the Boshin War before returning to Go with the same ferocity.
When he slammed open the doors of the Hoensha that day, the room fell silent. "I challenge Murase Shuho!" he barked. The demand hung in the air. Kuroda was no mere upstart; he had recently taken six games from Hayashi Shuei, proving his strength. Now, he stood before Shuho, eyes blazing. "Does the Hoensha fear a real match?"
Shuho, ever composed, set down his teacup and accepted.
The Humiliation of the Old Guard
The match was a rout. Shuho dismantled Kuroda in three straight games, each loss more crushing than the last. By the fourth game, Kuroda's hands shook so violently he could barely place his stones. In a final act of defiance, he slammed his opening move onto tengen—the board's center—a blatant breach of etiquette. The Hoensha's members gasped, but Shuho only smiled and played on, dismantling Kuroda's desperate aggression with ease.
When it was over, Kuroda staggered from the hall, his pride in tatters. The message was clear: the old ways could not compete.
Shuho's Rejection of the Meijin Title
In 1884, the Hoensha's members proposed elevating Shuho to Meijin, the highest honor in Go. It was a title reserved for legends—men like Dosaku and Shusaku. But Shuho refused. "The Meijin title belongs to the sages of our art," he said. "I am unworthy."
His humility only deepened his legend. By then, the Hoensha's supremacy was undeniable. Its players—Mizutani Hoji, Kobayashi Tetsujirou, and others—had risen through its meritocratic ranks, proving that talent, not bloodline, would define the new era.
The Four Houses, crippled by infighting and fading relevance, could only watch as their world slipped away. The age of clans was over. The age of Go itself had begun.
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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》)
