Japanese Titles Priority

Random titbit of information. Japanese 7 big titles in order from the most important to the least important:

  1. Kisei 棋聖
  2. Meijin 名人
  3. Honinbo 本因坊
  4. Ouza 王座
  5. Tengen 天元
  6. Gosei 碁聖
  7. Juudan 十段

These determine the title of players. Normally players have no title and referred with their rank, for example, Nakamura Sumire 2p. If a player holds a title, they use their title as suffix because it’s cooler than rank, for example, Shibano Toramaru Ouza. If they have multiple titles then they use the one with higher priority, for example, Ichiriki Ryo has both Tengen and Gosei but Tengen is cooler so Ichiriki Ryo Tengen. But in the case of title match the title defender uses the title in question even if they have hold higher title too.

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So we have Iyama Yuta Kisei, Shibano Toromaru Ouza, and Ichiriki Tengen, with no-one else having a big title?

Or have any of them changed hands yet this year?

I like historical tables, so here’s a historical table.

Professionals and their Big Seven etiquette titles


Player Etiquette title
Sekiyama Riichi Honinbo ('41)
Hashimoto Utaro Honinbo ('43, '50-1), Oza ('53, '55-6), Judan ('62, '71)
Iwamoto Kauru Honinbo ('45-7)
Takagawa Kaku Honinbo ('52–'60), Judan ('65), Meijin ('68)
Shimamura Toshihiro Oza ('57), Tengen ('77)
Fujisawa Hosai Oza ('58), Judan ('64)
Hashimoto Shoji Oza ('59), Judan ('74)
Handa Dogen Oza ('60), Judan ('63), Oza ('65)
Sakata Eio Honinbo ('61-2), Meijin ('63-4), Honinbo ('65-7), Judan ('68), Oza ('71-'72), Judan ('73)
Fujisawa Hideyuki Meijin ('62), Oza ('67-9), Meijin ('70), Tengen ('75), Kisei ('77-'82)
Miyashita Shuyo Oza ('62)
Rin Kaiho Meijin ('65-7), Honinbo ('68), Meijin ('69), Honinbo ('70), Meijin ('70-'73), Judan ('75), Tengen ('89-93)
Otake Hideo Judan ('69), Meijin ('75-6), Gosei ('80-5), Judan ('93-4)
Ishida Yoshio Honinbo ('71-3), Meijin ('74), Honinbo ('75)
Takemiya Masaki Honinbo ('76, '85-8), Judan ('90-2), Meijin ('95)
Cho Chikun Oza ('76), Gosei ('79), Meijin ('80-2), Kisei ('83-5), Gosei ('86), Tengen ('87-8), Honinbo ('89-93), Kisei ('94), Honinbo ('95), Kisei ('96-9), Oza (2001), Judan (2005-7)
Kato Masao Gosei ('76), Honinbo ('77-9), Tengen ('80-1), Oza ('82-9, '93), Honinbo (2002)
Kobayashi Koichi Tengen ('76), Judan ('84-6), Kisei ('86-'93)
Kudo Norio Oza ('77), Tengen ('97)
Kataoka Satoshi Tengen ('82-3)
Hane Yasumasu Tengen ('90)
Ryu Shikun Tengen ('94-5), Oza ('96)
Kobayashi Satoru Kisei ('95)
Yoda Norimoto Judan ('95), Gosei ('96-8), Meijin (2000-3), Gosei (2004-5)
O Rissei Oza ('98-9), Kisei (2000-2), Judan (2003-4)
Cho Sonjin Honinbo ('99)
O Meien Honinbo (2000-1)
Yamashita Keigo Gosei (2000), Kisei (2003), Kisei (2006-9) Honinbo (2010), Meijin (2011-12)
Hane Naoki Tengen (2001-3), Gosei (2011)
Cho U Honinbo (2003), Meijin (2004-5), Kisei (2010-12), Meijin (2018)
Takao Shinji Honinbo (2005-7), Tengen (2014)
Sakai Hideyuki Gosei (2010)
Iyama Yuta Honinbo (2012), Kisei (2013-2020)
Yuki Satoshi Judan (2013)
Murakawa Daisuke Oza (2014)
Ida Atsushi Judan (2015)
Kyo Kagen Gosei (2018)
Shibano Toromaru Meijin (2019-20)
Ichiriki Ryo Tengen (2020)

Tell me if you see any errors and I’ll fix them. There are almost definitely some omissions.

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Cho Chikun’s titles take up 5 lines (on my phone screen anyway). That’s 2 lines more than anyone else. That’s because Cho is the Mac daddy!! :sunglasses:

If you ask yourself : “BUT why this tittle is better ?”
The answer is easy : money.

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