The rise of Honinbo Jouwa (丈和) was anything but ordinary. From a late-blooming 1-dan to the fierce leader of Japan’s most powerful Go house, his ascent shook the Go world. But behind his rise was a shadow: Genbi (元美), the cultured rival who chose exile over conflict—and ended up rebuilding a fallen house. This episode explores the politics, betrayal, and rebirth that defined a generation. A tale of two men, two houses, and one turbulent throne.

Before he became a legend, Honinbo Jouwa (丈和) was a forgotten student—until a mysterious encounter in the mountains transformed his fate. In this gripping episode, follow his strange journey from failure to brilliance, and the night that changed the course of Japanese Go forever.

The Meijin title was Satsugen’s (察元)—but only in name. In the shadows, a quiet storm was building. Yasui Senchi (安井仙知), a prodigy of eerie calm and ruthless precision, shattered expectations. Then came his student, Chitoku (知得), who clashed with Honinbo Genjou (本因坊元丈) in one of the most legendary rivalries in Go history. Neither claimed the Meijin crown. They didn’t need to. Their games said it all. This is the story of silent kings and the golden age they created.

In the wake of tragedy, the Honinbo house stood weakened—its lineage broken by untimely deaths. But in 1754, a quiet, blushing 22-year-old named Satsugen (察元) emerged from the shadows. Misjudged and overlooked, he carried the fire of revival in silence. Follow the dramatic beginning of a long, calculated rise—one that would reshape the Go world.

When a forgotten vow echoes beyond the grave, a Go match becomes something more.

In this chilling and beautiful conclusion, Kondou Sashiba (近藤左司马)—a man once denied recognition—returns not for revenge, but for closure. Years after being rejected by the monk Komatsu Kaizen (小松快禅), a stormy night, an unfinished blind match, and a promise kept from the shadows lead to the most mysterious game in Edo-period Go history.

Part 3 of this dramatic legend delivers an unforgettable climax—one where regret, redemption, and the spirit of the game transcend life itself.

Caught between love and legacy, Kondou Sashiba (近藤左司马) flees into the night—only to meet a mysterious stranger in a rain-soaked temple. A blind Go match by memory, whispered moves in the dark, and a promise left unfinished. As politics and pride block his rise in Edo, Sashiba’s quest for a 3 dan certificate—and to win Eiko’s (荣子) hand—turns into a test of heart, honor, and fate. The game isn't over. Part 2 of this haunting legend deepens the mystery.

A tale of quiet ambition, forbidden love, and a mysterious Go match that blurs the line between the living and the dead. In the shadows of 18th-century Japan, a frail but determined young man named Kondou Sashiba (近藤左司马) sets out to prove himself—not with a sword, but with stones.

Driven by love for the spirited and loyal Eiko (荣子), Sashiba dreams of earning a 3 dan certificate to win her hand. But his journey takes a turn when he becomes entangled in a secret match rigged by gamblers... and later, an eerie midnight encounter with a cloaked stranger wielding a parasol.

As myth and reality collide in a storm-swept temple, one question lingers: can a promise made in the rain transcend life itself?

Episode 16 – National Shame
A bold power grab turns into a devastating international embarrassment. Inoue Shunseki, once poised to claim glory, instead becomes the face of Japan’s most humiliating Go defeat. Discover how ambition without caution nearly shattered the reputation of an entire nation.

After a decade of silence and simmering tensions, Douchi finally claims the Meijin title—only to discover that the true challenge has just begun. In this dramatic conclusion, honor, legacy, and ambition collide in one final gambit. Episode 15 of our historical Go series is here.

Episode 14 – "The Usurper" dives into the final years of Inoue Doseki’s life, revealing the subtle power plays that reshaped the future of the Go world. As Douchi waits in the wings, his mentor makes a choice that will define a generation. A story of betrayal, legacy, and ambition in the shadow of a broken oath.

In Episode 13, The Oathbound Master, we enter a critical turning point in Go history. As Honinbo Douchi rises from humble prodigy to undisputed master, his mentor Doseki—bound by a sacred vow—faces a tragic crossroads. Torn between loyalty and ambition, Doseki makes a fateful decision that will echo through generations. Discover the dramatic fallout of broken promises, political maneuvering, and the long shadow of legacy in the Edo era’s most turbulent Go succession.

A sick teenager defeats a top-ranked master in one of the most shocking upsets in Go history. But victory was only the beginning. Accusations, humiliation, and political fallout follow as Honinbo Douchi pushes to crush the Yasui house. Discover the ruthless drama behind the most personal rivalry of the Edo period. Episode 12 of the Meijin Rivalry series.

Caught between personal pride and his school's survival, young Douchi must battle illness, expectations, and Japan’s fiercest rival in one of the most dramatic Go matches in history. Discover how the Honinbo house risked everything in this epic showdown. Episode 11 of our Go legends series.

Explore the final chapter of Honinbo Dosaku, the greatest Go master of Japan’s golden era. In this dramatic tale of legacy, ambition, and sorrow, Dosaku chooses a successor with genius potential—at a heavy cost. Episode 10 of our Go Legends series captures the heart-wrenching decisions and the end of a dynasty.

Explore the legendary rise—and sudden fall—of the Honinbo school's Six Heavenly Kings in this dramatic chapter of Go history. Under Honinbo Dosaku's leadership during the Genroku Golden Age, Go flourished like never before. But ambition, rivalry, and unexpected tragedy reshaped the future of Japan’s most powerful Go house. Discover how brilliance turned bittersweet in Episode 9: Six Heavenly Kings.

Explore the extraordinary rise of Honinbo Dosaku, the legendary Go master who transformed Japanese Go with his revolutionary style and unmatched skill. From humble beginnings to international diplomacy and a game so refined he was said to play at “13-dan” strength—this is the story of Go’s greatest reformer. Episode 8 of our Go Legends series.

Discover the true story of Shibukawa Shunkai (澀川春海), the Go prodigy who abandoned the game after a dramatic defeat and went on to revolutionize Japanese astronomy. From tengen strategies to rewriting Japan’s calendar, this is Episode 7 of our weekly Go legends series. Explore the moment Go collided with the cosmos.

Uncover the real history behind Japan’s most dramatic Go rivalry—when Honinbō Sanetsu and Yasui Sanchi battled over the prestigious Meijin title during the Edo period. This gripping true story of ambition, legacy, political intrigue, and strategy reveals how Go became a national institution. Learn how personal pride, court power, and generational conflict shaped the future of professional Go in a nine-year duel that defined an era.