Takatsuki Shogi Festival 2026

Why You Should Visit

A free shogi festival held by Takatsuki, a city that brands itself as "the town of shogi" — 2026 is the 5th edition. It takes place at Ama Iseki Park near Takatsuki Station. Watch an East vs. West public pair match featuring 15 professionals including Lifetime Meijin Koji Tanigawa and 9-dan Akira Watanabe, plus talk shows with the city's PR ambassador, entertainer Takeshi Tsuruno. Make-your-own shogi piece crafts and a free-play corner mean both kids new to the game and fans who just love to watch can spend the day here.

Programs

Timetable & Map

Essentials

location

Ama Iseki Park

period

October 17, 2026 (Sat)

Time

9:45〜17:00（予定）

cost

Free

Links

Official Website

Kobe · Gluten-free

Basque cheesecakeBaked with rice flour, no wheat. Whole 12cm, serves 2-3¥4,700 incl. shipping (Japan only)

access

About 10 min walk from Takatsukishi Station (Hankyu Kyoto Line) or 13 min from JR Takatsuki Station. By car, use the park's East or West parking (¥100 per 30 min, max ¥800/day).

TICKETS / REGISTRATION

No registration needed to watch. The parent-and-child teaching games, tsume-shogi class and Megumi Ina signing required advance applications, which were taken from Aug 10 to Aug 31.

NOTE

Professional players

Lifetime Meijin Koji Tanigawa, Akira Watanabe 9-dan, Bungo Fukusaki 9-dan, Takayuki Yamasaki 9-dan, Amahiko Sato 9-dan
Masahiko Urano 8-dan, Masataka Sugimoto 8-dan, Makoto Tobe 7-dan, Wakamu Deguchi 6-dan, Yuta Komori 5-dan
Women's professionals: Saya Nakazawa, Saki Kawamata, Rei Taketomi, Miho Sasaki, Mikoto Umezu

Guests

Takeshi Tsuruno (PR ambassador for "Shogi Town Takatsuki")
Megumi Ina (author of the manga "Shogi no Watanabe-kun")

Hands-on

Make-your-own shogi piece
Free-play corner

* Programs and locations may change depending on the weather

FAQ

Is there a fee or do I need to register?

Entry is free, and no registration is needed to watch the public matches or talk shows. The teaching games, tsume-shogi class and signing were by advance application, which closed in August.

Can I enjoy it if I don't play shogi?

Yes. Watching top professionals, the talk shows and the shogi-piece craft can all be enjoyed without playing.

What happens if it rains?

Programs and locations may change depending on the weather. Check the official website for updates on the day.

Calendar

Add it to your calendar so you can check back on it later.

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