Shogi Museum is a museum in Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture, dedicated to the history and culture of shogi, Japan’s traditional chess-like board game. Tendo is known as the “City of Shogi” and is Japan’s leading production center for shogi pieces, accounting for approximately 95% of the nation’s production.
Opened in 1992, the museum introduces the history of shogi, its arrival in Japan, the deep connection between Tendo and shogi-piece making, and the traditional techniques used by craftsmen. The exhibits are presented in an accessible way, making the museum enjoyable for both shogi enthusiasts and visitors discovering the game for the first time.
Tendo shogi pieces were designated a National Traditional Craft in 1996. Inside the museum, visitors can closely admire the skills of craftsmen developed over generations, as well as the distinctive beauty of various types of shogi pieces.
The exhibitions explain how shogi developed and how it evolved into a uniquely Japanese game. Visitors can also learn about the relationship between shogi and traditional board games from different parts of the world, gaining a broader perspective on the history of board-game culture.
The museum displays shogi pieces created by contemporary master craftsmen. Visitors can take a close look at the finely written characters, carefully shaped wooden surfaces, and other details that demonstrate the remarkable skills involved in making these small pieces.
The museum also introduces chess from various countries and Chaturanga, an ancient Indian board game regarded as one of the possible ancestors of shogi. Comparing these games provides an interesting look at the development of board games across different regions and cultures.
Visitors can learn about a variety of topics, including:
・The origins of shogi and its introduction to Japan
・Shogi and related games around the world
・The process of making shogi pieces
・Works created by shogi-piece craftsmen
・The history of Tendo and its shogi-piece industry
Although shogi pieces are small objects, each one embodies a long history, traditional craftsmanship, and the skills of individual artisans. The museum explores not only the history of shogi itself but also how shogi pieces have been produced and how their styles and manufacturing techniques have changed over time.
Learning why Tendo became one of Japan’s most important centers for shogi-piece production provides a deeper understanding of the city’s shogi culture today.
One theory about the origins of shogi traces its roots to Chaturanga, a board game played in ancient India. Chaturanga was a type of board game that involved dice, and it is believed to have spread to various regions, where it developed into different forms according to local cultures and traditions.
The exact date when shogi arrived in Japan remains uncertain. However, it is thought that a form of shogi already existed in Japan by around the 11th century, during the Heian period. Over time, unique Japanese rules and traditions developed, eventually leading to the form of shogi played today.
The development of shogi-piece production in Tendo is closely connected with the circumstances of the Tendo Domain during the Edo period. As the domain faced financial difficulties, it turned its attention to shogi, which was popular at the time, and encouraged members of the samurai class to produce shogi pieces. This is believed to have helped establish and develop Tendo’s shogi-piece industry.
For many years, a widely accepted theory held that shogi-piece-making techniques were introduced to Tendo from the Yoshida family in 1865, near the end of the Edo period. However, more recent research suggests that methods for making shogi pieces may already have reached Tendo by the 18th century.
Early Tendo shogi pieces were made from miscellaneous hardwoods cut from nearby mountains. Craftsmen split the wood using axes and other tools to create the wooden blanks, then wrote the characters on them with lacquer using a distinctive cursive-style Tendo script.
At the time, individual pieces could vary considerably in shape and size. Because they were relatively inexpensive, these pieces became widely popular among ordinary people as affordable shogi sets.
By the middle of the Meiji period, shogi pieces featuring kaisho, or regular-style characters, were introduced from Tokyo. This brought changes to the appearance and style of Tendo’s shogi pieces.
During the Taisho period, craftsmen began incorporating the technique of horigoma, or carved shogi pieces, in which the characters are carved into the wood. Machinery also began to be used to shape the wooden blanks. These technological developments significantly improved and modernized the production process.
Today, oshi-goma, or stamped shogi pieces, in which the characters are printed onto the wooden surface, are widely available. More affordable carved pieces, with their characters engraved using machinery, are also commonly produced.
At the same time, the number of craftsmen who create traditional kaki-goma by carefully writing each character by hand in lacquer using the traditional Tendo script has declined. The traditional technique is therefore preserved as a valuable part of Tendo’s cultural heritage.
Tendo shogi pieces were designated a National Traditional Craft in 1996. Techniques developed over the course of a long history, including the preparation of the wooden blanks and the writing of the characters, continue to be passed down through generations.
In addition to traditional lacquer, modern shogi-piece production may also use coatings made from cashew-based materials derived from cashew trees grown in countries such as India and Brazil. This reflects the way traditional craftsmanship continues to evolve in response to changing times and materials.
Shogi Museum offers visitors an opportunity to explore shogi culture from many different perspectives, from the possible origins of the game and its development in Japan to the history of Tendo’s shogi-piece industry and the skills of its craftsmen.
Seeing actual shogi pieces up close is another highlight. Visitors can appreciate the beauty of their shapes and characters while discovering the detailed craftsmanship behind these seemingly simple game pieces.
For anyone visiting Tendo, the museum provides an interesting introduction to the idea that shogi pieces are not merely tools for playing a game. They are also an important part of the region’s history, traditional craftsmanship, and cultural identity.