Satoshi Kato Satoshi Kato is the very first Japanese player to win Shonen Jump Championship . He is the winner of the SHONEN JUMP Championship held in Nashville , Tennessee , in Feburary 2010 with his Zombie / Lightsworn - Deck against Adric High , who was using the same Deck type . He also topped in a couple of Shonen Jump Championship and YCS , he was one of the contender of the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2009 Conversation Between Satoshi Kato and Shonen Jump . " SHONEN JUMP : First off , congratulations on winning the SHONEN JUMP Championship ! Can you let us know how you first got into the Yu - Gi - Oh ! TRADING CARD GAME ? " Satoshi Kato : I started playing the Yu - Gi - Oh ! TRADING CARD GAME ten years ago when my brother introduced to me to the game . When I started , my Deck was very weak . I had almost no effect monsters and no good magic and trap cards . I stopped playing seven years ago but started up again two years ago . " SJ : Which Duel was the most difficult win for you this tournament and why ? " SK : The final ! My opponent used a Zombie Lightsworn Deck . My Deck is very weak against " Caius the Shadow Monarch . " I played very carefully . Plus his Deck also had a Zombie engine . Zombie engine makes it quick and easy to perform a one - turn kill . I had to have " Tragoedia " or " Gorz the Emissary of Darkness . " " SJ : How many tournaments have you attended ? If this is not your first tournament , how did previous tournaments help you in winning this time around ? Do you see any areas of improvement you can take from this tournament experience to the next one ? " SK : I ' ve played in four SHONEN JUMP Championships . The tournament in Los Angeles was very good for testing my Deck out . Zombies are very strong and Lightsworn as well . I used the same Deck I used in Japan , but it was not a good Deck in the U . S . I had to change to win the tournament . How do I play against " Burial from a Different Dimension " and " Beckoning Light " ? I thought about it for a long time , and I found the answer — " Sky Scourge Norleras " ! " SJ : To be a successful Duelist , it ' s essential to customize a Deck you can believe can win against most other Decks . What kind of Deck did you build for this tournament ? Which were the most important cards you brought ? " SK : I used a Lightsworn Zombie Deck with " Phantom of Chaos . " " Judgement Dragon " destroys all cards on the field , and " Sky Scourge Norleras " destroys all cards . Since Zombies take advantage of the Graveyard , I got off to a good start with " Sky Scourge Norleras . " It was my key to victory . " SJ : What do you look for in a monster card when building a Deck ? " SK : I made a Deck with good Effect monsters . Effects help me to control games . " SJ : New players make a lot of mistakes . What advice would you have for them ? " SK : New players should focus on where their advantages lie , and how to turn those advantages into a win . Also , how many cards you have in your hand and on the field is very important . " SJ : Are you a fan of the anime or manga ? If you could Duel any character from any of the Yu - Gi - Oh ! series , who would you challenge and why ? " SK : I really like Zane Truesdale . He uses amazing combos . " Future Fusion " and " Overload Fusion " are so awesome . finals Satoshi ' s in the midst of his final Duel ! " SJ : What ' s the coolest part of going to an SJ Tournament ? " SK : I can meet and make a lot of friends . Since I am from Japan , I cannot meet my foreign friends easily . Plus I can have great matches ! " SJ : Do you have a specific Dueling strategy in mind when the Duel starts ? Or is your strategy mostly based off of reacting to what your opponent does ? " SK : My strategy is to make a Deck with a surprise card . I keep my surprise card in my hand and wait for the right time to play it . If it ’ s successful , then my victory is that much closer . " SJ : SHONEN JUMP magazine often offers exclusive cards found nowhere else . If you had a " dream " card you would like to see put out , what would it be and why ? " SK : I want a God card ! Obelisk is already out , and Ra is also out in Japan . I want " Slifer the Sky Dragon " for its amazing effect . And it has great art !