S6.14 - Toshiki Fujimori on Japan's Go Salons: Tradition, Community & the Future | Go / Baduk / Weiqi

This episode is from All Things Go, a podcast about the board game Go, also known as Baduk in Korea and Weiqi in China.

Episode Summary

At one of Toshiki Fujimori's Go salons in Japan, the youngest players might be six years old, while one of the oldest is 92. For Toshiki, that captures something special about Go salons: people from very different generations meeting across the board as equals.

Toshiki has spent nearly two decades running Go salons and building Go communities in Japan. Joined by his colleague and interpreter Mutsumi Nakanishi, he shares what visitors can expect at a Japanese Go salon, why so many have disappeared, and how he's working to attract a new generation of players.

The conversation explores the impact of COVID, online salons that preserve face-to-face interaction, late-night events in Shinjuku, and efforts to introduce children to Go through Hikaru no Go and Kumon. Above all, it's about preserving the human connections that make Go special.

Resources

• Shinjuku Go Salon — Toshiki's Tokyo salon, with late-night hours and events.
• Yokohama Go Salon — Go lessons, events, and community programs.
• Kawagoe Go Salon — Another salon operated by Toshiki's team.
• IGO PRO — Toshiki's organization supporting Go education and promotion.
• Hikaru no Go Donation Project — Bringing the manga and beginner Go materials to children.

Full transcript, episode notes, and more:

https://allthingsgogame.com/

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https://discord.gg/uf3jgEAA4J

Theme music by UNIVERSFIELD & background music by PodcastAC

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Email: AllThingsGoGame@gmail.com

Episode Sponsors

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