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Gawky teen star wins new fans for Japan's 'game of generals'
Shogi, the Japanese chess variant known as the "game of generals", is enjoying a wave of popularity thanks to a gawky teenage prodigy with a rock-star following.
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This picture taken on October 7, 2021 shows Japan's professional shogi player Sota Fujii posing for a photo call during a press conference of a competition between Masayuki Toyoshima, in Tokyo. (AFP/Philip Fong)
S
hogi, the Japanese chess variant known as the "game of generals", is enjoying a wave of popularity in its homeland thanks to a gawky teenage prodigy with a rock-star following.
Sota Fujii's incredible success and quirky charm have made him a household name in Japan, dusting off the traditional board game's musty image and taking it to a new audience.
The 19-year-old became the youngest player ever to reach shogi's highest rank of ninth dan this summer and last month became the youngest to hold three of the sport's eight major titles.
Fujii launched his bid to capture a fourth in the best-of-seven "Ryuo" championship series earlier this month, and his fellow professionals credit him with breathing new life into the chess-like game.
"It used to be only shogi fans who would follow it, but now general news programmes have shogi stories and that has attracted new fans," professional shogi player Taichi Nakamura told AFP.
"There never used to be many female shogi fans. But since Sota Fujii came along, a lot of women have taken an interest."
With his unruly mop of hair, goofy grin and high-pitched, lilting voice, Fujii may appear an unlikely pin-up.
