Nihon Ki-in

The Nihon Ki-in (日本棋院), also known as the Japan Go Association, is the main (non-profit) organization for Go in Tokyo, Japan. It maintains Japan's professional player systemThe professional player system includes not only professional tournaments but also qualification exams for new professionals. and gives diplomas for amateur rankings.

Professional Tournaments
The Nihon Ki-in organizes many tournaments for professional players. The major title tournaments include the Kisei (棋聖, Board Master), Meijin (名人, Grand Master, hosted with Asahi Shinbun), Honinbo (本因坊), Judan (10-dan), Tengen (天元, Center), Gosei (碁聖, Master of Go), and the Oza (王座, King). There are also separate Honinbo, Meijin, and Kisei titles for women.

Major Title Winners by Year
 (*): Kansai Ki-inKansai Ki-in is the Osaka version of Nihon Ki-in. player.
 Non-Japanese players (Chinese or Korean) are described with their Japanese pronunciation. 
 Year  Kisei  Meijin  Honinbo  Judan  Tengen  Gosei  Oza 1941  -  -  Riichi Sekiyama  -  -  -  - 1943  -  -  Utaro Hashimoto  -  -  -  - 1945  -  -  Kaoru Iwamoto  -  -  -  - 1947  -  -  Kaoru Iwamoto  -  -  -  - 1950  -  -  Utaro Hashimoto  -  -  -  - 1951  -  -  Utaro Hashimoto*  -  -  -  - 1952  -  -  Kaku TakagawaEventually obtained honorary title  -  -  -  - 1953  -  -  Kaku Takagawa  -  -  -  Utaro Hashimoto* 1954  -  -  Kaku Takagawa  -  -  -  Kaku Takagawa 1955  -  -  Kaku Takagawa  -  -  -  Utaro Hashimoto* 1956  -  -  Kaku Takagawa  -  -  -  Utaro Hashimoto* 1957  -  -  Kaku Takagawa  -  -  -  Shimamura Toshihiro 1958  -  -  Kaku Takagawa  -  -  -  Hosai Fujisawa 1959  -  -  Kaku Takagawa  -  -  -  Shoji Hashimoto* 1960  -  -  Kaku Takagawa  -  -  -  Dogen Handa* 1961  -  -  Eio Sakata  -  -  -  Eio Sakata 1962  -  Fujisawa Hideyuki  Eio Sakata  Utaro Hashimoto*  -  -  Hidehiro Miyashita 1963  -  Eio Sakata  Eio Sakata  Dogen Handa  -  -  Eio Sakata 1964  -  Eio Sakata  Eio Sakata  Hosai Fujisawa  -  -  Eio Sakata 1965  -  Rin KaihoHe is a student of Go Seigen  Eio Sakata  Kaku Takagawa  -  -  Dogen Handa* 1966  -  Rin Kaiho  Eio Sakata  Eio Sakata  -  -  Eio Sakata 1967  -  Rin Kaiho  Eio Sakata  Eio Sakata  -  -  Fujisawa Hideyuki 1968  -  Kaku Takagawa  Rin Kaiho  Eio Sakata  -  -  Fujisawa Hideyuki 1969  -  Rin Kaiho  Rin Kaiho  Hideo Otake  -  -  Fujisawa Hideyuki 1970  -  Fujisawa Hideyuki  Rin Kaiho  -  -  -  Eio Sakata 1971  -  Rin Kaiho  Yoshio Ishida  Utaro Hashimoto*  -  -  Eio Sakata 1972  -  Rin Kaiho  Yoshio Ishida Eio Sakata  -  -  Eio Sakata 1973  -  Rin Kaiho  Yoshio Ishida  Eio Sakata  -  -  Rin Kaiho 1974  -  Yoshio Ishida  Yoshio Ishida  Shoji Hashimoto*  -  -  Yoshio Ishida 1975  -  Hideo Otake  Yoshio Ishida  Rin Kaiho  Fujisawa Hideyuki  -  Hideo Otake 1976  -  Hideo Otake  Masaki Takemiya  Masao Kato  Kobayashi Koichi  Masao Kato  Cho Chikun 1977  Fujisawa Hideyuki  Rin Kaiho  Masao Kato  Masao Kato  Shimamura Toshihiro  Masao Kato  Norio Kudo 1978  Fujisawa Hideyuki  Hideo Otake  Masao Kato  Masao Kato  Masao Kato  Hideo Otake  Yoshio Ishida 1979  Fujisawa Hideyuki  Hideo Otake  Masao Kato  Masao Kato  Masao Kato  Cho Chikun  Masao Kato 1980  Fujisawa Hideyuki  Cho Chikun  Masaki Takemiya  Hideo Otake  Masao Kato  Hideo Otake   Masao Kato 1981  Fujisawa Hideyuki  Cho Chikun  Cho Chikun  Hideo Otake  Masao Kato  Hideo Otake   Shoji Hashimoto* 1982  Fujisawa Hideyuki  Cho Chikun  Cho Chikun  Cho Chikun  Kataoka Satoshi  Hideo Otake  Masao Kato 1983  Cho Chikun  Cho Chikun  Rin Kaiho  Masao Kato  Kataoka Satoshi  Hideo Otake  Masao Kato 1984  Cho Chikun  Cho Chikun  Rin Kaiho  Kobayashi Koichi  Yoshio Ishida  Hideo Otake  Masao Kato 1985  Cho Chikun  Kobayashi Koichi  Masaki Takemiya  Kobayashi Koichi  Kobayashi Koichi  Hideo Otake  Masao Kato 1986  Kobayashi Koichi  Masao Kato  Masaki Takemiya  Kobayashi Koichi  Kobayashi Koichi  Cho Chikun  Masao Kato 1987  Kobayashi Koichi  Masao Kato  Masaki Takemiya  Masao Kato  Cho Chikun  Masao Kato  Masao Kato 1988  Kobayashi Koichi  Kobayashi Koichi  Masaki Takemiya  Cho Chikun  Cho Chikun  Kobayashi Koichi  Masao Kato 1989  Kobayashi Koichi  Kobayashi Koichi  Cho Chikun  Cho Chikun  Rin Kaiho  Kobayashi Koichi  Masao Kato 1990  Kobayashi Koichi  Kobayashi Koichi  Cho Chikun  Masaki Takemiya  Rin Kaiho  Kobayashi Koichi  Yasumasa Hane 1991  Kobayashi Koichi  Kobayashi Koichi  Cho Chikun  Masaki Takemiya  Rin Kaiho  Kobayashi Koichi  Fujisawa Hideyuki 1992  Kobayashi Koichi  Kobayashi Koichi  Cho Chikun  Masaki Takemiya  Rin Kaiho  Kobayashi Koichi  Fujisawa Hideyuki 1993  Kobayashi Koichi  Kobayashi Koichi  Cho Chikun  Hideo Otake  Rin Kaiho  Kobayashi Koichi  Masao Kato 1994  Cho Chikun  Kobayashi Koichi  Cho Chikun  Hideo Otake  Ryu Shikun  Rin Kaiho  Cho Chikun  1995  Satoru Kobayashi  Masaki Takemiya  Cho Chikun  Norimoto Yoda  Ryu Shikun  Satoru Kobayashi  O Rissei 1996  Cho Chikun  Cho Chikun  Cho Chikun  Norimoto Yoda  Ryu Shikun  Norimoto Yoda  Ryu Shikun 1997  Cho Chikun  Cho Chikun  Cho Chikun  Masao Kato  Kudo Norio  Norimoto Yoda  Kimio Yamada 1998  Cho Chikun  Cho Chikun  Cho Chikun  Naoto Hikosaka  Kobayashi Koichi  Norimoto Yoda  O Rissei 1999  Cho Chikun  Cho Chikun  Cho Sonjin  Kobayashi Koichi  Kobayashi Koichi  Kobayashi Koichi  O Rissei 2000  O Rissei  Norimoto Yoda  O Meien  Kobayashi Koichi  Ryu Shikun  Keigo Yamashita  O Rissei 2001  O Rissei  Norimoto Yoda  O Meien  O Rissei  Naoki Hane  Kobayashi Koichi  Cho Chikun 2002  O Rissei  Norimoto Yoda  Masao Kato  O Rissei  Naoki Hane  Kobayashi Koichi  O Meien 2003  Keigo Yamashita  Norimoto Yoda  Cho U  O Rissei  Naoki Hane  Norimoto Yoda  Cho U 2004  Naoki Hane  Cho U  Cho U  O Rissei  Keigo Yamashita  Norimoto Yoda  Cho U 2005  Naoki Hane  Cho U  Shinji Takao  Cho Chikun  Kono Rin  Norimoto Yoda  Cho U 2006  Keigo Yamashita  Shinji Takao  Shinji Takao  Cho Chikun  Kono Rin  Cho U  Keigo Yamashita 2007  Keigo Yamashita  Cho U  Shinji Takao  Cho Chikun  Kono Rin  Cho U  Keigo Yamashita 2008  Keigo Yamashita  Cho U  Naoki Hane  Shinji Takao  Cho U  Cho U  Cho U 2009  Keigo Yamashita  Yuta Iyama  Naoki Hane  Cho U  Keigo Yamashita  Cho U  Cho U 2010  Cho U  Yuta Iyama  Keigo Yamashita  Cho U  Satoshi Yuki*  Hideyuki Sakai*  Cho U 2011  Cho U  Keigo Yamashita Keigo Yamashita  Yuta Iyama  Yuta Iyama  Naoki Hane  Cho U 2012  Cho U  Keigo Yamashita  Yuta Iyama   Yuta Iyama  Yuta Iyama  Yuta Iyama  Yuta Iyama 2013  Yuta Iyama   Yuta Iyama  Yuta Iyama   Satoshi Yuki  Yuta Iyama  Yuta Iyama  Yuta Iyama 2014  Yuta Iyama   Yuta Iyama  Yuta Iyama  Shinji Takao  Shinji Takao  Yuta Iyama  Daisuke Murakawa* 2015  Yuta Iyama  Yuta Iyama  Yuta Iyama  Atsushi Ida  Yuta Iyama  Yuta Iyama  Yuta Iyama 2016  Yuta Iyama   Shinji Takao  Yuta Iyama  Yuta Iyama  Yuta Iyama  Yuta Iyama  Yuta Iyama 2017   Yuta Iyama    Yuta Iyama    Yuta Iyama    Yuta Iyama    Yuta Iyama    Yuta Iyama    Yuta Iyama  2018   Yuta Iyama    Cho U    Yuta Iyama    Yuta Iyama    Yuta Iyama    Kyo KagenHe is a non-Japanese player   Yuta Iyama  2019   Yuta Iyama    Toramaru Shibano    Yuta Iyama    Daisuke Murakawa*    Yuta Iyama    Naoki Hane   Toramaru Shibano  2020   Yuta Iyama    (tbd)    Yuta Iyama    Toramaru Shibano    (tbd)    (tbd)   (tbd)  Year  Kisei  Meijin  Honinbo  Judan  Tengen  Gosei  Oza

 Domestic Headquarters 
 Tokyo Head Quarter (Ichigaya) : 7-2 Goban-cho, Chiyoda, Tokyo
 Tokyo Yurakucho Go Center: 9F Tokyo Kotsu-Kaikan, 2-10-1 Yuraku-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
 Osaka Head Quarter: 10F Applause Tower, 19-19 Sayamachi, Osaka
 Osaka Umeda Go Salon: 6F Hankyu Five Annex Building, 1-23 Sumidacho, Kita-ku, Osaka
 Chubu Head Quarter:  1-19  Syumoku-cho, Higashi-ku, Nagoya

Foreign Branches
 The Nihon Ki-in European Go Cultural Centre: Schokland14,1181 HV Amstelveen, Netherlands
 Nihon Ki-in Do Brasil:  R. Dr Fabricio Vampre No116, Ana Rosa - Sao Paulo - Brazil
 Nihon Ki-in Go Institute of The West U.S.A: 700,N.E.,45 th Street, Seattle WA

References and Notes

Related pages
 All Japan Student Go Federation
 American Go Association (American counterpart of Nihon Ki-in)
 British Go Association
 European Go Federation
 International Go Federation
 Tomoko Ogawa (former director of Nihon Ki-in, former president of the professional players assembly at Nihon Ki-in)
 Chizu Kobayashi (former director of Nihon Ki-in)
 Sachiko Hara (former director of Nihon Ki-in)

Famous players at Nihon Ki-in

 Go Seigen
 Eio Sakata - He holds the honorary NHK Cup
 Kaku Takagawa
 Hideyuki Fujisawa
 Masao Sugiuchi - He used to be the oldest professional player during 2004 to 2017
 Masao Kato - former president of the International Go Federation
Female players

 Asami Ueno
 Ayumi Suzuki
 Chiaki Mukai
 Izumi Kobayashi
 Kaori Chinen
 Keiko Kato
 Kumiko Yashiro
 Miori Shimosaka
 Narumi Ohsawa
 Reiko Kobayashi
 Rina Fujisawa
 Sachiko Honda
 Terumi Koyama
 Tomoko Kato
 Tomoko Ogawa
 Xie Yimin - she was born in Taiwan
 Yukari Yoshihara

Other websites

 Nihon Ki-in English Website



Category:Go organizations
Category:Sports organizations of Japan