Kannazuki issue #1 of Bunbunmaru Newspaper, Gensokyo Year 78/CE Year 1963

New Shogi Discovery?
New pieces discovered in Muenzuka

The discovery of shogi pieces never before seen among the kappa has become a hot topic.

The version of shogi commonly known involves using pawns and two dragons to take your opponent's treasure cache of jade, gold, silver, cinnamon and incense wood while defending your own. Since games using just these pieces end far too quickly, the white wolf tengu have adopted "Tengu Grand Shogi" which has a multitude of additional pieces and unique rules.

Tengu Grand Shogi adds many treasure pieces, with beasts and youkai protecting (and hunting) them. It is common for a single game to take several days.

These newly discovered pieces include the "general", "lieutenant general", and others which appeared to be promoted versions of pawns. There were also other pieces like "airplane" and "spy", whose effects are truly unimaginable. There was nothing written on the backs of any of these, which means they can't be promoted.

Momiji Inubashiri, the white wolf tengu still active in adding pieces and expanding rules, had the following to say:

"I thought that we were the only ones making original rules. I could not believe my eyes to see that the same kind of thing was happening in the outside world as well. It's a bit frustrating."

Though she says that, she is devoted to making more rules to utilize the new pieces.

"I want to see how shogi in the outside world has evolved with my own eyes. There is the possibility that the rules have been simplified, since all of the new pieces which were found couldn't be promoted. In that case, we tengu would likely find it lacking."

Currently, it is said that the outside world has finished post-war reconstruction and is at the height of rapid economic growth. It is very likely that games which would take hours to play have been simplified and can now be played more casually. If that is the case, then even with regards to shogi, Gensokyo is probably evolving in the complete opposite direction. Although separated for just half of a century, it looks like this cultural deviation will not cease anytime soon.

(Aya Shameimaru)


Analysis of the article (Gensokyo Year 136/CE Year 2021)

Considering the fact that the First Cycle (Gensokyo Year 60/CE Year 1945) has just recently passed following the end of the Second World War, it shouldn't be surprising that during the period when the Great Hakurei Barrier weakened, many things from Japan will inevitably found its way to Gensokyo, and in this case, the article discussed about the impact of one such thing, namely the discovery of shogi pieces that was believed to be used in shogi matches during pre-1945 Showa era.

It should be known that shogi was once at risk of being banned by the Allied occupation force in Japan. Thanks to Kozo Masuda's criticism towards the shallow understanding of shogi and the fact that he also managed to provide a counter-argument that aligns shogi's game rules with American intention to democratize Japan, shogi is removed from the banlist. Furthermore, Masuda himself revolutionize the way shogi is played on Earth to such extent that there are two shogi awards named after him. Therefore, it shouldn't be surprising that Masuda's playing style is considered to be the origin of Earth's modern shogi.

Momiji Inubashiri and Aya Shameimaru noted separately that the impact of the shogi pieces found at Muenzuka back then is significant. Momiji noted that she wished to see the evolution of shogi on Earth, and as early as late 2020, she often visits JSA's headquarters in Shibuya, Tokyo. To her astonishment, her estimation that Earth's shogi rules has been simplified turns out to be correct. As of Aya, she noted that one can see the divergence in cultural evolution between Gensokyo and Japan. She similarly noticed the simplification trend, and deduced that it allows shogi to be more accessible to casual players, in contrast of the Tengu Grand Shogi that Momiji currently serves as the arbiter of.

As of now, the cultural differences between Gensokyo and Japan are significant enough to be considered separate since it has been more than a century following the creation of Great Hakurei Barrier in 1885. Put simply, it's like how America and Britain ended up with separate cultures after more than two centuries. The Reunification in 2020 ends with the agreement between Gensokyo and United Nations that gave the former de-facto independence from Japan at the cost of allowing a garrison of UN Armed Forces to be stationed inside. Currently, said garrison is located at the perimeter of Hakurei Shrine, ostensibly under the watch of Reimu Hakurei.

(Yasei Sugaku)

AN: Yes, Momiji being the arbiter of Tengu Grand Shogi is CANON.