The Japan team played for the first time at the China Weiqi league from 5 June to 15 June 2012 for advancement of Japan China friendship. Accordingly the team name is `Japan China friendship'. The year 2012 is the 40th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China. The team members are as follows:
Cho Chikun 9p,
Murakawa Daisuke 7p,
Ida Atsushi 3p and
Ichiriki Ryo 2p. Besides the veteran player (Cho Chikun), the rest of the members are the young players (Average age: 17 years old). The result of the Japan team was 2 draws and 5 losses.
The new board members of The Nihon Ki-in were elected on 26 June 2012. Mr. Norio Wada, former president of NTT (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation), was appointed to the chairman.
Yamashiro Hiroshi 9p and Mr. Jagawa Tadaaki, special advisor of Hino Motors, Ltd., were appointed to the vice chairman.
The Nihon Ki-in and University of Electro-Communications signed five-year strategic partnership on 22 June 2012 to contribute the developments of go community, information and communication technology and cognitive science through advancements of computer go.
Purposes of Partnership:
1) To hold UEC Cup (*Computer Go Tournament)
2) To hold an official event of a match between computer go and professional go players
3) To study go with professionals go players
4) To have Go lessons at the University
Mr. Koichiro Matsuura, former director-general of UNESCO organization, was elected president of
International Go Federation at the general meeting of IGF on 28 May 2012. The new president will serve for two year term.
The 67th Honinbo title match has been broadcasted on
Niko Niko Douga which is a popular video sharing website in Japan. Although Honinbo title match is played over two day period, detailed commentaries are given by pros on the program from morning till the end of the game.
