Super-Fast Shogi Enters a New Dimension: ABEMA Original Match Project 'JEMTC Special ABEMA Regional Tournament 2026' Announced
ABEMA has announced the 'JEMTC Special ABEMA Regional Tournament 2026,' a new series of original shogi matches. This tournament combines the existing 'ABEMA Tournament' (super-fast shogi) and the 'Regional Competition' (focused on regional pride). Eight teams from across Japan, comprising 40 players, will compete. The draft meeting will be broadcast on May 9, and preliminaries begin on May 30.
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New Future TV "ABEMA" announces the decision to hold a new series of original match programs, "JEMTC Special ABEMA Regional Tournament 2026," on its "Shogi Channel," and that the draft meeting, featuring 8 director players representing each region, will be broadcast from 7 PM on Saturday, May 9, 2026.
"JEMTC Special ABEMA Regional Tournament 2026" is a new series of "ABEMA" original match projects that fuses the super-fast shogi "ABEMA Tournament," which started in 2018, with the "Regional Competition," which began in 2024 as a Shogi Federation 100th-anniversary project with the concept of "carrying the region's pride."
The country is divided into 6 regional blocks (Kanto and Kansai have 2 teams each), totaling 8 teams. A total of 40 players, 5 players per team, will engage in intense matches, carrying the prestige of their respective regions. The members of each team will be nominated by the directors at the draft meeting, which will be broadcast from 7 PM on Saturday, May 9.
The directors for each regional block, following last year's "Regional Competition," include Nobuyuki Yashiki 9-dan (Hokkaido/Tohoku Valpex), Yoshiharu Habu 9-dan (North Kanto Blitzers), Masataka Sugimoto 8-dan (Chubu Tri-Kings), Koji Tanigawa 17th Meijin (North Trads Kobe), Shizuka Hatakeyama 8-dan (South Gotts Osaka), Koichi Fukaura 9-dan (Kyushu Southern Phoenix). This year, Toshiyuki Moriuchi 9-dan (Lucyg Yokohama) and Tetsuro Itodani 9-dan (Chugoku/Shikoku Navisetos) have newly joined, making a total of 8 directors.
The teams determined after the draft meeting will compete in preliminaries starting from Saturday, May 30, and will advance to the semifinals in August, and then the finals. Please look forward to the live broadcast of the semifinals and finals.
How will the team competition, the only one in the shogi world to use a draft, unfold, and how will the players, carrying the pride of their regions, face the challenge!? Please pay attention to the draft meeting broadcast from 7 PM on Saturday, May 9.
■ 'JEMTC Special ABEMA Regional Tournament 2026' Draft Meeting Overview
Broadcast Date and Time: Saturday, May 9, 2026, from 7 PM
Broadcast Channel: Shogi Channel
Draft Meeting Program URL: https://abema.tv/channels/shogi/slots/BD6U7xXeLWc55Z
'ABEMA Regional Tournament 2026' Program URL: https://abema.tv/video/title/288-43
Special Page URL: https://abema-regional-tournament2026.com/
Participating Director Players:
Nobuyuki Yashiki 9-dan (Hokkaido/Tohoku), Yoshiharu Habu 9-dan (Kanto), Toshiyuki Moriuchi 9-dan (Kanto), Masataka Sugimoto 8-dan (Chubu), Koji Tanigawa 17th Meijin (Kansai), Shizuka Hatakeyama 8-dan (Kansai), Tetsuro Itodani 9-dan (Chugoku/Shikoku), Koichi Fukaura 9-dan (Kyushu)
*The latest schedule will be announced on the program and ABEMA Shogi Channel's official X (formerly Twitter), etc.
https://twitter.com/shogi_abema
"JEMTC Special ABEMA Regional Tournament 2026" is a new series of "ABEMA" original match projects that fuses the super-fast shogi "ABEMA Tournament," which started in 2018, with the "Regional Competition," which began in 2024 as a Shogi Federation 100th-anniversary project with the concept of "carrying the region's pride."
The country is divided into 6 regional blocks (Kanto and Kansai have 2 teams each), totaling 8 teams. A total of 40 players, 5 players per team, will engage in intense matches, carrying the prestige of their respective regions. The members of each team will be nominated by the directors at the draft meeting, which will be broadcast from 7 PM on Saturday, May 9.
The directors for each regional block, following last year's "Regional Competition," include Nobuyuki Yashiki 9-dan (Hokkaido/Tohoku Valpex), Yoshiharu Habu 9-dan (North Kanto Blitzers), Masataka Sugimoto 8-dan (Chubu Tri-Kings), Koji Tanigawa 17th Meijin (North Trads Kobe), Shizuka Hatakeyama 8-dan (South Gotts Osaka), Koichi Fukaura 9-dan (Kyushu Southern Phoenix). This year, Toshiyuki Moriuchi 9-dan (Lucyg Yokohama) and Tetsuro Itodani 9-dan (Chugoku/Shikoku Navisetos) have newly joined, making a total of 8 directors.
The teams determined after the draft meeting will compete in preliminaries starting from Saturday, May 30, and will advance to the semifinals in August, and then the finals. Please look forward to the live broadcast of the semifinals and finals.
How will the team competition, the only one in the shogi world to use a draft, unfold, and how will the players, carrying the pride of their regions, face the challenge!? Please pay attention to the draft meeting broadcast from 7 PM on Saturday, May 9.
■ 'JEMTC Special ABEMA Regional Tournament 2026' Draft Meeting Overview
Broadcast Date and Time: Saturday, May 9, 2026, from 7 PM
Broadcast Channel: Shogi Channel
Draft Meeting Program URL: https://abema.tv/channels/shogi/slots/BD6U7xXeLWc55Z
'ABEMA Regional Tournament 2026' Program URL: https://abema.tv/video/title/288-43
Special Page URL: https://abema-regional-tournament2026.com/
Participating Director Players:
Nobuyuki Yashiki 9-dan (Hokkaido/Tohoku), Yoshiharu Habu 9-dan (Kanto), Toshiyuki Moriuchi 9-dan (Kanto), Masataka Sugimoto 8-dan (Chubu), Koji Tanigawa 17th Meijin (Kansai), Shizuka Hatakeyama 8-dan (Kansai), Tetsuro Itodani 9-dan (Chugoku/Shikoku), Koichi Fukaura 9-dan (Kyushu)
*The latest schedule will be announced on the program and ABEMA Shogi Channel's official X (formerly Twitter), etc.
https://twitter.com/shogi_abema