Takatsuki City
Shogi players held on-site lessons using locally produced wood shogi pieces distributed by Takatsuki City to first-grade elementary school students.
Learn about the importance of forests and how to enjoy Japan’s ancient traditional culture, “Shogi”
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Takatsuki City, which promotes itself as “Takatsuki, the Town of Shogi,” has been inducting first-year students at elementary schools in the city since 2020 in order to provide opportunities for people to become familiar with shogi, which has a deep connection with the city, and to deepen their understanding of Japan’s ancient traditional culture. We are distributing shogi pieces made from wood produced in the same city and providing on-site lessons by shogi players. On Monday, September 2, 2020, the first on-site class of the school year was held at Takatsuki City Daikan Elementary School. The children enjoyed taking classes taught by Masahiko Urano, 8th Dan.
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Takatsuki City has had a deep connection with shogi since ancient times, with many small and medium shogi pieces from the Edo period excavated from the Sannomaru ruins of Takatsuki Castle, where samurai residences once existed. In September 2018, we became the first local government in the nation to conclude a comprehensive partnership agreement with the Japan Shogi Federation. Ahead of the Kansai Shogi Hall relocating from Fukushima Ward to Osaka City this fall, “Shogi Town Takatsuki” is becoming more and more exciting. Since 2020, we have been offering shogi pieces made from wood from Takatsuki to first-grade elementary school students in the city, with the aim of getting children familiar with shogi and deepening their understanding of Japan’s ancient traditional culture. Shogi players belonging to the Japan Shogi Federation will be distributing the materials and holding on-site classes at all 41 municipal elementary schools. This year’s on-site classes began on September 2nd (Monday) at Municipal Daikan Elementary School with Masahiko Urano, an 8-dan shogi player with ties to the city, as the instructor. In this day’s class, the homeroom teacher first explained that the shogi pieces are made from windfallen trees and thinned wood from Takatsuki’s forests, and that the forest, which creates a rich natural environment, is an important presence indispensable to daily life. We held a “tree education” session to teach children about the following topics. Next, Masahiko Urano, 8-dan, appeared in the classroom and said, “Let’s touch the shogi pieces in the box.” The students carefully took out the shogi pieces from the box, picked them up, and put them on their noses. You can experience the feel and smell of wooden shogi pieces by holding them close. Afterwards, the students worked in pairs to experience “yamazoushi” and learned the etiquette of shogi. The children happily commented, “I’ve never played shogi before, but it was so much fun to play with the pieces.I want to play shogi again.” From now on, we plan to hold on-site classes at each school in turn until around January next year.
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