Meijin (shogi)
Meijin (名人) is one of the seven titles in Japanese professional shogi, and is the most prestigious title, along with Ryu-oh. This should not be confused with the "Amateur Meijin" title that is awarded each year to the winner of the Amateur Meijin Tournament.
The word "meijin" means "an excellent person" in a certain field. ("mei"(名) = excellent, artful) ("jin"(人) = person)
The Meijin institution started in the 17th century (Edo period), but the person who assumed the Meijin position was selected by succession.
In the 1930s, Kinjiro Sekine (13th Meijin) made a courageous decision. He abandoned his Meijin position and proposed the institution of a tournament. Since 1937, the Meijin title has been given to the person who wins the Meijin Championship each year.
The preliminary round of the Meijin tournament is called "Rank Tournament" (Jun-i Sen 順位戦) and involves five league classes (A, B1, B2, C1, C2). The top three players of the C2 league are promoted to next year's C1 league. The top two of the C1, B2, B1 leagues are promoted to next year's B2, B1, and A leagues, respectively. Only the winner of the A-Class league can challenge the Meijin title holder. Therefore, at least five years experience of Rank-Tournament-league is needed for challenging for the title of Meijin after one's professional debut.
The player that wins four games out of seven first in the championship will become the new Meijin title holder.
Lifetime Meijin
The Lifetime Meijin (Lifetime Meijin, Eiseimeijin 永世名人) title is awarded to a player who has won the Meijin Championship five times. Active players may qualify for this title, but it is only officially awarded upon their retirement or death.
- (1st - 13th : in succession)
- 14th Lifetime Meijin : Yoshio Kimura
- 15th Lifetime Meijin : Yasuharu Oyama
- 16th Lifetime Meijin : Makoto Nakahara
- 17th Lifetime Meijin : Koji Tanigawa
- 18th Lifetime Meijin : Toshiyuki Moriuchi
- 19th Lifetime Meijin : Yoshiharu Habu
Winners
Year | Winner | Score | Opponent |
---|---|---|---|
1935 -1937 |
Yoshio Kimura | ||
1940 | Yoshio Kimura | 4-1 | Doi Ichitaroh |
1942 | Yoshio Kimura | 4-0 | Kanda Tatsunosuke |
Yoshio Kimura | no match | ||
Yoshio Kimura | no match | ||
1947 | Masao Tsukada | 4-2 | Yoshio Kimura |
1948 | Masao Tsukada | 4-2 | Yasuharu Oyama |
1949 | Yoshio Kimura | 3-2 | Masao Tsukada |
1950 | Yoshio Kimura | 4-2 | Yasuharu Oyama |
1951 | Yoshio Kimura | 4-2 | Kozoh Masuda |
1952 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-1 | Yoshio Kimura |
1953 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-1 | Kozoh Masuda |
1954 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-1 | Kozoh Masuda |
1955 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-2 | Takashima Kazukiyo |
1956 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-0 | Hanamura Motoji |
1957 | Kozoh Masuda | 4-2 | Yasuharu Oyama |
1958 | Kozoh Masuda | 4-2 | Yasuharu Oyama |
1959 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-1 | Kozoh Masuda |
1960 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-1 | Hifumi Katoh |
1961 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-1 | Maruta Yuzoh |
1962 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-0 | Tatsuya Futakami |
1963 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-1 | Kozoh Masuda |
1964 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-2 | Tatsuya Futakami |
1965 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-1 | Michiyoshi Yamada |
1966 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-2 | Kozoh Masuda |
1967 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-1 | Tatsuya Futakami |
1968 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-0 | Kozoh Masuda |
1969 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-3 | Michio Ariyoshi |
1970 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-1 | Rensho Nada |
1971 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-3 | Kozoh Masuda |
1972 | Makoto Nakahara | 4-3 | Yasuharu Oyama |
1973 | Makoto Nakahara | 4-0 | Hifumi Katoh |
1974 | Makoto Nakahara | 4-3 | Yasuharu Oyama |
1975 | Makoto Nakahara | 4-3 | Nobuyuki Ouchi |
1976 | Makoto Nakahara | 4-3 | Kunio Yonenaga |
1977 | blank | ||
1978 | Makoto Nakahara | 4-2 | Keiji Mori |
1979 | Makoto Nakahara | 4-2 | Kunio Yonenaga |
1980 | Makoto Nakahara | 4-1 | Kunio Yonenaga |
1981 | Makoto Nakahara | 4-1 | Kiyozumi Kiriyama |
1982 | Hifumi Katoh | 4-3 | Makoto Nakahara |
1983 | Koji Tanigawa | 4-2 | Hifumi Katoh |
1984 | Koji Tanigawa | 4-1 | Hidemitsu Moriyasu |
1985 | Makoto Nakahara | 4-2 | Koji Tanigawa |
1986 | Makoto Nakahara | 4-1 | Yasuharu Oyama |
1987 | Makoto Nakahara | 4-2 | Kunio Yonenaga |
1988 | Koji Tanigawa | 4-2 | Makoto Nakahara |
1989 | Koji Tanigawa | 4-0 | Kunio Yonenaga |
1990 | Makoto Nakahara | 4-2 | Koji Tanigawa |
1991 | Makoto Nakahara | 4-1 | Kunio Yonenaga |
1992 | Makoto Nakahara | 4-3 | Michio Takahashi |
1993 | Kunio Yonenaga | 4-0 | Makoto Nakahara |
1994 | Yoshiharu Habu | 4-2 | Kunio Yonenaga |
1995 | Yoshiharu Habu | 4-1 | Taku Morishita |
1996 | Yoshiharu Habu | 4-1 | Toshiyuki Moriuchi |
1997 | Koji Tanigawa | 4-2 | Yoshiharu Habu |
1998 | Yasumitsu Satoh | 4-3 | Koji Tanigawa |
1999 | Yasumitsu Satoh | 4-3 | Koji Tanigawa |
2000 | Tadahisa Maruyama | 4-3 | Yasumitsu Satoh |
2001 | Tadahisa Maruyama | 4-3 | Koji Tanigawa |
2002 | Toshiyuki Moriuchi | 4-0 | Tadahisa Maruyama |
2003 | Yoshiharu Habu | 4-0 | Toshiyuki Moriuchi |
2004 | Toshiyuki Moriuchi | 4-2 | Yoshiharu Habu |
2005 | Toshiyuki Moriuchi | 4-3 | Yoshiharu Habu |
2006 | Toshiyuki Moriuchi | 4-2 | Koji Tanigawa |
2007 | Toshiyuki Moriuchi | 4-3 | Masataka Goda |
2008 | Yoshiharu Habu | 4-2 | Toshiyuki Moriuchi |
2009 | Yoshiharu Habu | 4-3 | Masataka Goda |
2010 | Yoshiharu Habu | 4-0 | Hiroyuki Miura |
2011 | Toshiyuki Moriuchi | 4-3 | Yoshiharu Habu |
2012 | Toshiyuki Moriuchi | 4-2 | Yoshiharu Habu |
2013 | Toshiyuki Moriuchi | 4-1 | Yoshiharu Habu |
See also
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