Hon'inbō Sansa

Lore & Background

Nikkai was born in Kyōto and became a monk at age nine. His original dharma name was Nikkai, and the name 'Hon'inbō' comes from a sub-temple of the Jakkōji temple complex where he resided. Among his students were the daimyōs Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, the three great 'unifiers' of feudal Japan. Nikkai considered them 'fifth-degree' players (comparable to amateur 4 or 5 dan), but 'diplomacy' was likely a factor in that even-handed assessment. In 1578, Nobunaga recognized the twenty-year-old Nikkai as the first Meijin of Go. In 1582, at Nobunaga's behest, Nikkai played a notorious game at Honnōji Temple against fellow Nichiren priest Kashio Rigen (though some sources suggest Kashio and Rigen were two different people). The game is traditionally said to have ended in a triple ko on the eve of the Incident at Honnōji, where Nobunaga was forced to commit seppuku, but the game record is incomplete and the triple ko may be a story rather than fact. In 1587, Hideyoshi gave Nikkai an official position forerunning the go-dokoro, granting his temple an annual four koku of rice and setting up a tournament. In 1592, Nikkai was given the rank of Gon-no-Daisoku by the Go-Yōzei Emperor. In 1603, Tokugawa Ieyasu became shōgun, and at his direction Nikkai turned priestly duties over to his younger brother Nichiei and became the first go-dokoro, provided fifty koku of rice and five servants. Around 1605, Nikkai took the name Hon'inbō Sansa. Sansa was also a strong shogi player. In 1612, eight go and shogi players were given individual state support, a system that persisted until the Meiji Restoration. Sansa traveled east each year for oshirogo matches in Edo, and died there at age 65.

Reader's Guide

Hon'inbō Sansa's significance lies in founding the Hon'inbō house, which became the most prestigious of the four great Go schools in Edo-period Japan. As the first Meijin and first go-dokoro, he helped establish the official, state-supported system of professional Go that lasted over 250 years. His students included the three great unifiers of Japan, and his recognition by them elevated Go's status. The triple-ko game associated with him became a famous anecdote, though its historicity is uncertain. Sansa's legacy continued through his successors: the Hon'inbō house produced seven of the ten historic Meijin and all three traditional Kisei ('Go Sages'). The school lasted into the 20th century, and in 1936 the last Hon'inbō master turned the title over to the Nihon Ki-in, which still administers the Honinbō Tournament today. Sansa also appears in popular culture, such as the manga Hikaru no Go.

Did You Know?

• Hon'inbō Sansa was originally a Buddhist priest of the Nichiren sect with the dharma name Nikkai.
• He was recognized as the first Meijin of Go by Oda Nobunaga in 1578, when Nikkai was twenty years old.
• The name 'Hon'inbō' comes from a sub-temple of the Jakkōji temple complex in Kyōto where Nikkai resided.
• Sansa was also a strong shogi player, and in 1612 eight go and shogi players were given individual state support.
• The notorious triple-ko game associated with Sansa is traditionally said to have occurred on the eve of the Incident at Honnōji, but the game record is incomplete and the story may not be factual.