The Man in the Rain
The Blind Match
They had no stones. No board. No light.
The stranger suggested a blind game—playing entirely from memory, announcing each move aloud, keeping the whole match inside their minds. Sashiba hesitated. Blind Go was an art for masters. He was exhausted. But something about the man’s voice—firm, composed, strangely comforting—made it impossible to refuse.
They played.
The first few moves came slowly, with Sashiba fumbling to hold the board in his mind. But the stranger never rushed. He’d respond only after long pauses, as if testing more than just Sashiba’s skill. As the board grew more complex, Sashiba forgot the cold, the hunger, the rain. All that remained were the lines, the rhythm, and the quiet clicks of imagined stones.
Twenty moves. Then thirty.
Then, just as he was finding his rhythm, the stranger stopped.
“The rain has passed,” he said.
Sashiba looked around. Light was filtering in through the cracks of the temple. Dawn.
The stranger stood up. “I have business in Edo. We’ll finish the game next time.”
And just like that, he walked off into the mist.
The Path to Edo
Sashiba never learned the man’s name.
But something about the encounter lit a fire in him. The next day, he resumed his journey to Edo with renewed purpose. When he arrived, he moved in with a fellow traveler, Seibee (清兵卫), who introduced him to local Go players and helped him find a foothold in the city’s crowded Go salons.
But formal entry into the Honinbo school was not easy. Even with natural talent and iron determination, Sashiba had no status, no teacher, and no allies. Two years passed. He improved rapidly—but had no certificate, no recognition.
Then, in his third year, everything changed.
Seibee introduced him to a charismatic monk: Komatsu Kaizen (小松快禅), a disciple of the legendary Douchi (道知). When the two played, Sashiba was given a two-stone handicap—and won. Twice.
Kaizen was stunned. “You’ve got something special,” he said.
The next week, Sashiba defeated a member of the Inoue house while giving him four stones. The Go world began to take notice. And word reached the ears of the elders, just as Sashiba received a letter from Eiko (荣子), reminding him of their promise.
The One Chance
He had three months left.
Just one victory away from possibly earning the certificate he needed—and with it, Eiko’s hand.
But when he tried to secure the certificate through the Inoue house, he unknowingly stepped into a political minefield. The Inoue master, Gengorou (源五郎), saw an opportunity to embarrass the rival Honinbo school. He promised Sashiba a 3 dan certificate—but only if he could defeat Komatsu Kaizen (小松快禅) even without a handicap.
Sashiba was stunned. This was his mentor, a man who had helped launch his career.
Worse, when Komatsu learned who had arranged the match, he refused outright. He was loyal to the Honinbo name. And he despised being used as a pawn in the Inoue family’s schemes.
Sashiba begged. Kaizen remained unmoved.
Rejected, disgraced, and out of time, Sashiba’s body failed him. He collapsed into a fever, heartbroken. He had fought his way from obscurity, only to be undone by the petty rivalries of the four houses.
He returned home with no certificate, no title—just his stories and a quiet, unfinished pride.
Although he got to marry Eiko, a part of him never stopped thinking about that stranger in the rain, that final game left hanging in the dark.
To Be Continued in Part 3: The Return in the Rain
In the final chapter, the story takes a heartwarming turn. A mysterious visitor. A final match by candlelight. And the quiet resolution of a promise that refused to die.
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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.
Contact: For verification or takedown requests, please email help@zeejyan.com.
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》)
