Japanese title 1956-1961 with intermediate time limits (4 or 5 hours), run in separate sections in West and East Japan - with the winners playing off by wire.
Winners:
1956 Sakata Eio (E) beat Kubouchi Shuchi (W)
1957 Miyashita Shuyo (E) beat Handa Dogen (W)
1958 Miyashita Shuyo (E) beat Tainaka Shin (W)
1959 Sugiuchi Masao (E) beat Tainaka Shin (W)
1960 Hashimoto Utaro (W) beat Fujisawa Hosai (E)
1961 Fujisawa Hosai (E), Miyamoto Naoki (W)