14 Stable Japanese Titles

Since 1998, there have been fourteen stable Japanese titles:

• three major "big" open (the Kisei, Meijin and Honinbo)
• four minor "big" open (the Oza, Tengen, Gosei and Judan)
• three for women (the Women's Kisei, Women's Meijin and Women's Honinbo)
• one for youth (the Shinjin O)
• three quick-play (the NHK Cup, Agon Cup and Ryusei)

History

• 1941: Honinbo est.
• 1950: Honinbo becomes annual
• 1952-54: All-Japan Women's Championship ("Women's Honinbo"), Oza, NHK Cup est.
• 1962: Meijin, Judan est.
• 1975-77: Tengen, Gosei, Shinjin O, Kisei est.
• 1982: AJWC renamed to Women's Honinbo
• 1989-94: Women's Meijin, Ryusei, Agon Cup est.
• 1998: Women's Kisei est.

• 2010-11: Xie Yimin holds all three women's titles
• 2015: ditto
• 2017: Iyama Yuta holds all seven big titles
• 2020: Fujisawa Rina holds all three women's titles, but the Female Meijin is cancelled this year so she doesn't have to defend it.

Later Titles

Two women's tournaments appeared in the mid-2010s, the Aidu Chuo Hospital Cup (2014) and the Female Strongest (2016), and continue to be held.

The Igo Masters Cup senior championship ran from 2011 to 2019.

See also

• Big titles