The Traveling Board

A Beginner in Tokyo
October 27, 2003
by Dave "Bippy" Boyer 

I travel to Japan every year to draw caricatures at sight seeing locations in Tokyo and Yokohama. Hoshinoko Productions, located in Shakujii koen, a wonderful town on the Seibu Ikebukuro train line, arranges my visa and provides me with an apartment. This year, I wanted to play go in my free time and eventually, I found an igo salon. Although the tables were occupied with older adults playing igo, a Japanese gentleman basically said to me, "I am sorry. But based on your weak rank and weakness, you can not play here." I emailed some of my friends at the Empty Sky Go Club back home in Rochester and the whole club became concerned for me. We concluded that maybe I had found an igo salon that older, local players enjoy and perhaps many members did not know enough English to be comfortable talking to me. My good friend Bill Hewitt gave me the address of the Nihon Kiin Tokyo headquarters, where my experience was quite different. 

At the Nihon Kiin, it costs 1,000 yen to play as much igo as you want in a day. You are given a card that looks like an old-fashioned library book card. The top of the card has six "cartoon balloon" shapes where your starting rank, and its progress over time, are recorded. Cards are saved for two months. After your card is filled out, you sit on a bench and wait to be assigned an opponent.

"Bippy-san..." I heard in English. "You play this lady. You play black. Even game." "Onagaishimasu," (Have a good game!) we said to each other and bowed (yes... just like in the "Hikaru No Go" anime series. I am a fan.). I was very nervous but excited, playing my first Japanese opponent. About 300 moves later, we both passed. She won, and proceeded to gesture and talk about the game's progress, trying to teach me how to make better shapes. I missed some of her instruction, but I told her I was happy to play with her. One of the unwritten rules of go is to be grateful for the game experience, no matter what the outcome, right? "Domo arigato gozaimasu," I told her as I bowed. She smiled.

As soon as I handed back my card, it was then marked with her name stamp (hanko). I sat for only one minute on the bench. Then I heard,"Bippy-san, play this next lady. Even game. You play white." It was startling to see how efficiently Nihon Kiin found my next opponent. Our game had a few casual observers, as word had gotten out that a visiting American was "in the house." My opponent won, but again tried to show me how to play better next time.

The Nihon Kiin sells many go books, accessories, charms, and of course, go newspapers. The green tea tastes fine. And they were willing to take a humble beginner from America and put me in their system, which I will remember forever. I look forward to a return visit. For go fans traveling to Japan, I think it would be a good idea to get as strong as you can in your hometown, learn as much go as you can, have someone "scope out" some salons in advance, and of course, have fun.

Edited by Ben Alkov. Dave Boyer is a cartoonist and digital photographer. He has been learning go for a year or so. You can e-mail him at Bippy@mac.com Check out Hoshinoko Productions at http://www.hoshinoko.co.jp

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