Shogi buses, shogi mailboxes, and a shogi park await in Japan’s “Shogi Town”

Be at one with shogi in this tranquil space.

I’ve always been intrigued by the Japanese variant of chess known as “shogi“, which takes many of the same principles but multiplies the complexity by making several pieces available to promote and allowing captured pieces to return to the board. I’ve tried it a few times, but nothing has made me feel myself getting dumber as I age quite like shogi.

Still, I appreciate the mild aesthetics and quiet dignity of the game and hold it in high regard. That’s why a shogi poser like myself is excited to hear about the March 15 opening of Komaoto Park in Takatsuki City, Osaka Prefecture, a 505-square-meter (5,400-square-foot) park made in honor of the traditional game.

▼ The location of Komaoto Park, though the satellite image is outdated and shows it as still-under-construction.

The name “Komaoto” is made up of the Japanese words “koma” meaning “game piece” and “oto” meaning “sound” because it is said that if you listen really carefully, you can hear the sounds of shogi being played.

It’s hard to say if that’s hyperbole or not because the park is actually right outside the newly relocated Kansai Shogi Association building. It seems like you’d have to be awfully quiet to catch the sounds of wooden pieces hitting a wooden board at a rate of one move every five minutes from somewhere inside the building, though. If this were the Hungry Hungry Hippo Association building it would be another matter entirely.

Regardless, it’s all too easy to feel some serious shogi vibes in this park. The plaque at the entrance is in the shape of a shogi piece and the pavement closely resembles a shogi board, along with smaller tiles that display strategies like the Cheerful Central Rook and Bishop Exchange Reclining Silver openings.

The area is interspersed with tranquil Japanese gardens, where Japanese box trees have been planted. These trees were shipped in from the remote island of Mikurajima because their wood has long been used to make high-quality shogi pieces.

If you’re wondering why Takatsuki was chosen as the location for all this, it’s because the city is home to three legendary players: Masahiko Urano, Kiyozumi Kiriyama, and Bungo Fukusaki. Not only that but excavations around the Takatsuki Castle Sannomaru ruins uncovered several shogi pieces dating back to the Edo period, when samurai used to reside in the area.

With all these claims to shogi fame, Takatsuki City has teamed up with the Kansai Shogi Association to promote itself as Shogi no Machi (Shogi Town) and be a prime venue to host title matches. Taking a stroll through the area, you may see a mailbox shaped like a shogi piece or see a current champ’s face plastered on a city bus.

▼ They got your shogi superstar buses…

▼ …your shogi mailboxes…

▼ …and shogi manhole covers? You bet!

So, if you love the game of shogi, even if it’s not enough to actually play it, like me, Takatsuki City sounds like a nice place to pay a visit to.

Source: PR Times, Takatsuki City
Images: PR Times 1, 2, 3, Takatsuki City
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