Specially designed Go set “GODIANA - Platinum & Gold”

Gold leaf stamping craftsman Mr. Norifumi Fujisawa

Born in Kyoto City, he graduated from the Kyoto Traditional Crafts College of Butsugu (Buddhist altar) gold leaf stamping course in 1998, and studied under Masaharu Okamoto, a traditional craftsman and a contemporary master gold leaf stamping artist.
He was involved in gold leaf processing for shrines and temples throughout Japan.
He later became independent as "Kyo Kinpaku Oshi Tokowaka" (Kyoto Gold Leaf Pressing Tokowaka) and obtained the title of "Certified Craftsman of Kyoto" approved by the Governor of Kyoto Prefecture in 2015.

In recent years, he has been actively expanding the scope of his activities by managing projects that fuse traditional gold leaf techniques with contemporary art and other genres, holding gold leaf workshops and solo exhibitions in France, Asia, and other regions, and actively communicating the appeal of gold leaf stamping both domestically and internationally.

Board craftsman Mr.Torayoshi YOSHIDA

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.
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.

●Go stones
Size 36 Nachiguro Go stones have been decorated with platinum leaf and gold leaf by the skilled hands of Mr. Norifumi Fujisawa of “Kyo-Kinpakuoshi Tokowaka,” and finished with a protective urethane coating.
Both the gold leaf and platinum leaf finishes are designed not to completely cover the surface of the stones, allowing the natural color of the Go stones to remain visible while enhancing them with the brilliant beauty of the foil decoration.


This compact Go set features Size 36 Nachiguro Go stones with Gold Leaf Finish and Platinum Leaf Finish, expertly finished by gold leaf artisan Mr. Norifumi Fujisawa of “Kyo-Kinpakuoshi Tokowaka.”
Designed for personal reflection, this set emphasizes not only the beautiful sound of the stones striking a premium Kaya Go board, but also the quiet enjoyment found in caring for and maintaining the materials after use.

In today’s busy world, time to reflect and reconnect with oneself is limited.
This set was created to be easily carried and enjoyed during moments such as quiet time by a campfire or peaceful moments alone in a study room, while still allowing proper care and maintenance of authentic materials.
Because genuine high-quality materials are used throughout, it also makes an excellent gift for those who value using fine products carefully over many years. It is also recommended for people searching for a new hobby.

Although Go is fundamentally a game played by two people, this product was specially designed for solitary enjoyment — arranging game records (kifu) alone while appreciating the sound of the stones and the texture of the board, allowing one’s thoughts to flow calmly and naturally.
For those experiencing Go for the first time through this product, we recommend beginner-friendly books such as “Easy Introduction to Go for Adults” published by the Nihon Ki-in.

Time spent alone differs from person to person.
Some prefer their private room, while others seek time in nature.
With this in mind, particular attention was paid to the size and portability of the set.
To make it easy to carry anywhere, the total weight has been kept to approximately 750g, pursuing true compactness.
All components — including the Go board and stones — are neatly stored within a “Chita Cotton Yarn-Dyed Sashiko Kohabaori Odoyaka / San,” inspired by the traditional Japanese wrapping cloth known as a furoshiki.

Go board : Board craftsman Mr. Torayoshi Yoshida made Hon-Kaya 5X5-ro Go board 1-Sun (Thickness about 3cm）
*Signed on the bottom
The lines of a board are marked using "Tachi-mori", the skill of drawing lines using a Japanese sword.
Included : Special miniature tatami mat (straw mat), Go board care cloth
In a special wooden box

Go stones：Size 36 Nachiguro Go Stones with Gold Leaf Finish and Size 36 Nachiguro Go Stones with Platinum Leaf Finish(each 14 pieces)
These Go stones feature a gold leaf finish and platinum leaf finish applied by gold leaf artisan Mr. Norifumi Fujisawa of “Kyo-Kinpakuoshi Tokowaka.”
“Nachiguro Go Stones” are black Go stones made from Nachiguro stone sourced from Kumano City, Mie Prefecture, Japan.
Please experience the brilliance of Go stones crafted by traditional Go stone artisans, carrying on techniques that have been faithfully passed down for more than 100 years.
In a special wooden box (Each 14 Gold and Platinum Go stones in separate wooden boxes)
Includes a dedicated “Chita Cotton Yarn-Dyed Sashiko Kohabaori Odoyaka / San” cloth wrap capable of storing all of the above products.

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.
There are three types of kaya trees: "Hyuga Kaya" which is grown and harvested in a mountainous area in the southern part of Kyushu, Japan, "Japanese-grown honkaya" which is grown in other areas of Japan, and "Chinese-grown honkaya" which is mainly grown in Yunnan Province, China.
Generally, Japanese-grown honkaya is said to be better than Chinese honkaya in terms of quality.
The main difference between Japanese and Chinese kaya is the wood quality, caused by the natural environment where the tree was grown. Japanese kaya is usually lighter and more yellowish in color and has a unique wood aroma.
Depending on your preference, Japanese kaya is generally more highly valued than Chinese kaya, and the value and price of Japanese kaya tends to be higher due to the rarity of the wood.

In order to make a one-piece Go/Shogi board or board with legs, it is necessary to get a large tree between 200 and 800 years old.However, since logging is now prohibited in many forests in Japan, large-diameter kaya wood is almost impossible to find on the market.
The procurement of kaya is becoming more and more difficult and the Japanese honkaya Go board is getting rarer year on year.

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

Go board : Board craftsman Mr. Torayoshi Yoshida made Hon-Kaya 5X5-ro Go board 1-Sun (Thickness about 3cm）
*Signed on the bottom
The lines of a board are marked using "Tachi-mori", the skill of drawing lines using a Japanese sword.
Size：130 ㎜ × 117 ㎜ × 30 ㎜
Weight：About 270ｇ
Included : Special miniature tatami mat (straw mat), Go board care cloth
In a special wooden box

Go stone：Size 36 Nachiguro Go Stones with Gold Leaf Finish and Size 36 Nachiguro Go Stones with Platinum Leaf Finish(each 14 pieces)
These Go stones feature a gold leaf finish and platinum leaf finish applied by gold leaf artisan Mr. Norifumi Fujisawa of “Kyo-Kinpakuoshi Tokowaka.”
“Nachiguro Go Stones” are black Go stones made from Nachiguro stone sourced from Kumano City, Mie Prefecture, Japan.
In a special wooden box (Each 14 Gold and Platinum Go stones in separate wooden boxes)

1,000 JPY flat rate shipping within Japan, free shipping for purchases totaling 20,000 JPY or more.
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.