The Journey of Yoshio Sakata's 64 Championships

Author: Yasuo Sakata
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-02-01
Features: My (Go career) has spanned over sixty years, but looking back, it always feels as though it wasn't long—it seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. Unlike the era of today's abundant news go tournaments, in the pre-war and immediate post-war period, news tournaments were few and far between. Young players like us had barely any games to play and very few opportunities to shine. It wasn't until the late years of the Showa 20s (1945–1950) that, growing alongside the history of Showa Go, I reached my thirties and finally had a chance. However, my challenge in the Honinbo Championship against Mr. Utaro Hashimoto ended in a famous come-from-behind defeat, which taught me what winning and losing truly were! I believe that my play needs to demonstrate "talent," and it will require another decade of refinement. Today, players in their early twenties can win news tournament titles—things are vastly different from the past due to the changing times. Reflecting on my long life of battles and victories, my fierce passion and unwavering refusal to compromise come from a deep understanding that even a slight moment of relaxation could lead to disaster. Thus, whether playing any game, I give it my all, fighting and striving to the very end. I think the records contained in this book, meticulously compiled over the years, fully reflect this. The preparation for this book began in January of Showa 59 (1974) and took about a year and a half to complete, written by Mr. Gotaro Gotoda. My champion history had been featured in "Weekly Go" (published by the JapanAssociation). When my championship count reached 64, I was serving as the president of the JapanAssociation and devoted myself to the Association's affairs, taking a year off from competing. After returning, I realized how truly arduous and steep the path of victory and defeat truly is. Whether I can extend my 64 championships further depends on my future efforts. To answer everyone's expectations, I am prepared to give it my all.
My (Go career) has spanned over sixty years, but looking back, it always feels as though it wasn't long—it seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. Unlike the era of today's abundant news go tournaments, in the pre-war and immediate post-war period, news tournaments were few and far between. Young players like us had barely any games to play and very few opportunities to shine. It wasn't until the late years of the Showa 20s (1945–1950) that, growing alongside the history of Showa Go, I reached my thirties and finally had a chance. However, my challenge in the Honinbo Championship against Mr. Utaro Hashimoto ended in a famous come-from-behind defeat, which taught me what winning and losing truly were! I believe that my play needs to demonstrate "talent," and it will require another decade of refinement. Today, players in their early twenties can win news tournament titles—things are vastly different from the past due to the changing times. Reflecting on my long life of battles and victories, my fierce passion and unwavering refusal to compromise come from a deep understanding that even a slight moment of relaxation could lead to disaster. Thus, whether playing any game, I give it my all, fighting and striving to the very end. I think the records contained in this book, meticulously compiled over the years, fully reflect this. The preparation for this book began in January of Showa 59 (1974) and took about a year and a half to complete, written by Mr. Gotaro Gotoda. My champion history had been featured in "Weekly Go" (published by the JapanAssociation). When my championship count reached 64, I was serving as the president of the JapanAssociation and devoted myself to the Association's affairs, taking a year off from competing. After returning, I realized how truly arduous and steep the path of victory and defeat truly is. Whether I can extend my 64 championships further depends on my future efforts. To answer everyone's expectations, I am prepared to give it my all.