Board craftsman Mr. Torayoshi YOSHIDA made Hyuga kaya Kiura 0.9-Sun (about 28 mm thick) Table Shogi Board No.89020F

It is becoming more and more difficult to obtain Hyuga kaya wood.

The top has some intergrown knots.
The bottom to both side has outer skin part.
*Please check the photo images.

Yoshida Gobanten was established in 1916 and continuously made various Go and Shogi boards for more than 100years.
The owner takes over the name of 'Master Yoshida Torayoshi' for generations.
All the boards made by the 3rd and 4th generation of Yoshida Torayoshi, the present owner, have engraved words of Ichi-jo (一如) in Chinese character, as the evidence of his work.
The word 'Ichi-jo' is a part of famous four-character idiom 'Busshin Ichi-nyo (物心一如)', that literally means 'matter and mind are one/body and mind as one'.
This implies a strong will that when we make boards, our board and mind are as one.
The engraved words 'Ichi-jo (一如)' is the evidence of Go master, who made this board with his spirit and board as one.
We are happy to offer these special boards made by the Go board master Mr. YOSHIDA Torayoshi, for his devotion and his long years of experience and outstanding technique.

"Kaya" is regarded as one of the best materials to make Go and Shogi boards, because of its good sound and feel when placing the stones, moderate elasticity, beautiful grain, color, gloss and luster, and aroma.

"Hyuga kaya" is a special type of close-grained Japanese nutmeg tree grown and harvested in a mountainous area in the southern part of Kyushu, Japan.

The reason why Hyuga kaya from Miyazaki Prefecture is of the highest quality is because of the natural environment in which the tree grows.
The climate in southern Kyushu and the Miyazaki area has relatively big temperature differences between daytime and night time, a lot of rainfall, and strong direct sunlight, all of which help trees to produce clear-grain grains.
The wood grows on rocky terrain and requires several hundred years to grow into a tree large enough to be used as Go board material.
This is why it is considered a top-quality product, due to its rarity as well as its wood quality.
The grain of the wood is very fine and dense, so it rarely causes warpage or distortion.

Hyuga kaya boards are used in various title matches and famous tournaments.
The sound of the placing of stones on the board is very clear. Moreover, as it is used over the years, it will take on a refined candy-colored luster, further enhancing its maturity.

*Go board materials are explained detail in "How to choose a board".
Please take a look.
Go to "How to choose a board".

”Kiura” cutting style applies to the center (core) of the log and itame (flat grain) appears on the top surface of the board.
The top surface has masame (straight grain) at both ends and an oval or bamboo shoot-like pattern or irregular itame pattern in the center.
Itame (flat grain) appears on the top surface.
This is the most valuable cutting style of the itame wood.

*Go board cutting styles are explained detail in "How to choose a board".
Please take a look.
Go to "How to choose a board".

• Product : Board craftsman Mr. Torayoshi YOSHIDA made 1-piece Hyuga kaya table Shogi board
  Kiura 0.9 sun / 2.8cm thick
  Item No.89020F
• Size (height × width × thick)
  360 mm × 335 mm × 28 mm
• Weight : About 1.8 kg
• Included：Certificate


• Please bear the actual cost for shipping charges outside Japan.

You may find small knots, burrs, rolled-in bark as all these products are made of natural trees.
There may be some small flaw or scratch, dent, chipping.