Etiquette Title
An etiquette title is a title used by the reigning champion of a tournament in formal situations in place of his rank.
The "big seven Japanese titles" are ordered in precedence by the amount of prize money on offer.
1. the Kisei
2. the Meijin
3. the Honinbo
4. the Oza
5. the Tengen
6. the Gosei
7. the Judan
An owner of multiple etiquette titles is addressed by the most prestigious of them.
There are also honorary titles, which can be maintained even after losing the tournament. These are often received by winning five editions. An honorary Honinbo title can also come with an etiquette name.
Japanese professionals and their etiquette titles
The currently major titled Japanese professionals are:
- Ichiriki Ryo, Kisei
- Iyama Yuta, Meijin
- Seki Kotaro, Tengen
- Kyo Kagen, Judan
- Fujisawa Rina, Female Honinbo
- Female Kisei, Ueno Risa
In addition, as of early 2022, the Shinjin O is held by Sotoyanagi Sebun, the SGW Cup by Han Zenki, the Kansai Ki-in First Place Championship by Yo Seiki, and the Okan by Ida Atsushi.
This table details the proper etiquette title which should be applied to a Japanese professional at any given time.
The year dates are only approximate, though. eg. Oza (1988) would not mean to use Oza for all of 1988, but rather from the end of the 1988 Oza to the end of the 1989 one. Most of that time might even be in 1989.
The table was originally made ![[ext]](images/extlink.gif)
on the OGS forum in July 2021. The forum post had the comment that "there are almost definitely some omissions."
| Player | Etiquette title |
|---|---|
| Sekiyama Riichi | Honinbo ('41) |
| Hashimoto Utaro | Honinbo ('43, '50-1), Oza ('53, '55-6), Judan ('62, '71) |
| Iwamoto Kaoru | 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 ('01), Judan ('05-7) |
| Kato Masao | Gosei ('76), Honinbo ('77-9), Tengen ('80-1), Oza ('82-9, '93), Honinbo ('02) |
| Kobayashi Koichi | Tengen ('76), Judan ('84-6), Kisei ('86-'93) |
| Kudo Norio | Oza ('77), Tengen ('97) |
| Kataoka Satoshi | Tengen ('82-3) |
| Hane Yasumasa | Tengen ('90) |
| Ryu Shikun | Tengen ('94-5), Oza ('96) |
| Kobayashi Satoru | Kisei ('95) |
| Yoda Norimoto | Judan ('95), Gosei ('96-8), Meijin ('00-3), Gosei ('04-5) |
| O Rissei | Oza ('98-9), Kisei ('00-2), Judan ('03-4) |
| Cho Sonjin | Honinbo ('99) |
| O Meien | Honinbo (2000-1) |
| Yamashita Keigo | Gosei (2000), Kisei ('03), Kisei ('06-9) Honinbo (2010), Meijin (2011-12) |
| Hane Naoki | Tengen (2001-3), Gosei ('11) |
| Cho U | Honinbo (2003), Meijin ('04-5), Kisei ('10-12), Meijin (2018) |
| Takao Shinji | Honinbo (2005-7), Tengen ('14) |
| Sakai Hideyuki | Gosei (2010) |
| Iyama Yuta | Honinbo (2012), Kisei ('13-'21), Meijin ('22--) |
| Yuki Satoshi | Judan (2013) |
| Murakawa Daisuke | Oza (2014), Judan ('19) |
| Ida Atsushi | Judan (2015) |
| Kyo Kagen | Gosei (2018), Judan ('22--) |
| Shibano Toramaru | Meijin (2019), Oza ('20) |
| Ichiriki Ryo | Tengen (2020), Kisei ('22--) |
| Seki Kotaro | Tengen (2021--) |
Female etiquette titles
The Female Kisei page gives this order of precedence of the female titles:
- 1. Women's Honinbo
- 2. Aidu Chuo Hospital Cup
- 3. Female Meijin
- 4. Female Kisei
- 5. Senko Cup
With this information, we can construct a list describing appropriate female etiquette title use as well.
- Honda Sachiko: F. Honinbo ('82, '84)
- Kusunoki Teruko: F. Honinbo ('83, '85, '87-9)
- Ogawa Tomoko: F. Honinbo ('86)
- Miyazaki Shimako: F. Meijin (1989)
- Nakazawa Ayako: F. Honinbo ('90-1)
- Aoki Kikuyo: F. Meijin ('90), F. Meijin ('99-'00, '02, '06), F. Kisei ('12)
- Kato Tomoko: F. Honinbo ('92), F. Meijin ('95)
- Sugiuchi Kazuko: F. Meijin ('92-'94)
- Yoshida Mika: F. Honinbo ('93-6)
- Koyama Terumi: F. Meijin ('96-8, '05)
- Chinen Kaori: F. Honinbo ('97-9), F. Kisei ('00-'03) F. Honinbo ('04), F. Kisei ('05)
- Kobayashi Izumi: F. Kisei ('98-9), F. Honinbo ('01-3, '04)
- Kuwabara Yoko: F. Honinbo (2000)
- Yashiro Kumiko: F. Honinbo (2004-6)
- Mannami Kana: F. Kisei (2004, '06)
- Xie Yimin: F. Honinbo (2007-12), F. Meijin ('13-14) F. Honinbo ('15), Aidu Chuo ('16), F. Honinbo ('17)
- Kato Keiko: F. Meijin (2007)
- Umezawa Yukari: F. Kisei (2007-09)
- Mukai Chiaki: F. Honinbo (2013)
- Fujisawa Rina: F. Honinbo (2014, '16), Aidu Chuo ('17), F. Honinbo ('18), Aidu Chuo ('19), F. Honinbo ('20--)
- O Keii: Aidu Chuo (2015)
- Ueno Asami: F. Kisei (2018), F. Honinbo ('19), F. Kisei ('21--), Aidu Chuo ('22--)
- Suzuki Ayumi: F. Kisei (2020)
- Nakamura Sumire, F. Kisei (2023)
- Ueno Risa, F. Kisei (2024)
Current titleholders
- Ichiriki Ryo, Kisei
- Iyama Yuta, Meijin
- Seki Kotaro, Tengen
- Kyo Kagen, Judan
- Fujisawa Rina, Female Honinbo
- Ueno Asami, Aidu Chuo
![[Welcome to Sensei's Library!]](images/stone-hello.png "Sensei's Library")