![]() ![]() Later, this board was used in the Meijin Title Match and purchased by us. You can engage in making something other.” I got complex from his words. My brother was more skillful, and told me, “I take responsibility for crafting boards. My brother sometimes skipped school, looking for suitable woods for boards. My father used to cut logs to make boards from early morning, around six or so, even on Sundays. (Go board craftspeople make Shogi boards as well.) I assume they had enormous pride as Go board craftsmen. ![]() Kito-san: Not only my brother, but my father also was one of the distinguished artisans in the truest sense of the word. Dedication to Creating Crafted Shogi Boards and Pieces–the Spirits of Craftsmanship–Īkiko: 30 years is completely beyond my imagination! What do you think motivated your brother to expend a significant amount of time and effort in making boards? This shows the board was made of a large tree. Working out for producing this board, we spent 20 years only to dry them and for the whole process 30 years was needed. Besides the limited number of final products from an expensive log, we have to manage time-consuming processes. The rest part of the log will be processed to table boards or to board legs with gardenia shape.Īkiko: Only ten boards out of one high-quality log! I feel like that’s very wasteful. We could make only ten boards even from one large tree at the most. With regard to Shogi board, the thicker they are, the more appreciated in value. In addition, every two years we remove mold formed on their faces. Say, we paint them from five to ten times. During that time, since natural drying would cause cracks in the wood pieces, we need to coat them with several layer of paint. ![]() First, we cut box-shaped wood pieces (actually, Kito-san took Tofu as an analogy to describe the shape of cut pieces.) Then we keep them in a stock room for certain periods of time. Now, could you tell me how to form the shape of a board from a log? You used very expensive and rare wood for this Shogi board. ![]() Inevitably the log was liable to be very expensive in itself.Īkiko: I see. Yes, as you have realized, the diameter of the log was that long! Even though it is well known that trees grown in Niimi, Okayama, typically have thick trucks, it is hard to find a tree trunk this thick. The board’s length is almost as the same as a half of the hemisphere of the log I used. One corner of the board has the center part of annual rings. Tokujiro Kito (hereafter Kito-san): The log for this board was from a huge tree grown in Niimi city in Okayama Pref. Akiko Nakakura (hereafter Akiko): What kind of tree did you use for this board? I visited Maruhachi-Goban-ten Shogi Board Transformed from a 300-Year-Old Huge Tree with 30 Years of Artisans’ Devotion Kito told me the process in which one log turns out to be a Shogi board and his brother’s dedication as a craftsman throughout this process. Atsuo Kito who was one of the certified master board maker Kito-san is also a younger brother of the late Mr. Tokujiro Kito who is the owner of Maruhachi-Goban-ten. Let’s see “how much” in an interview below! The third Kyoku of the 74th-term Meijin Title Match at Kagoshima Pref. You may find yourself surprising to know how much craftspeople spend time and effort to make those masterpieces. It is true, but moreover those works are exquisite in themselves. Good value has been added to the board and pieces, since they were used during the prestigious Meijin Title Match. The other day, I posted an article here to share our news that we had purchased a set of Shogi board and pieces to be used in the third Kyoku of the 74th-term Meijin Title Match (“Kyoku” is suffix to count Shogi games.) Timeless Masterpieces: Board and Pieces Used in the Meijin Title Match An interview with the owner of Maruhachi-Goban-ten, the specialized Go and Shogi shop who offers a selection of Go and Shogi equipments crafted by skilled artisans. ![]()
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