Meijin-sen: Sota Fujii Meijin and Tetsuro Itodani Hachidan to Appear at Pre-match Festival and Other Events

The 4th match of the "Meijin-sen," one of the highest-ranking shogi title matches, will be held on Saturday, May 16th and Sunday, May 17th, Reiwa 8 (2026) at the Takatsuki Castle Park Arts and Culture Theater in Takatsuki City, where Sota Fujii Meijin will face Tetsuro Itodani Hachidan. To promote the Meijin-sen, Takatsuki City is planning a pre-match festival, where both players will appear, along with Kiyozumi Kiriyama 9-dan, Akira Inaba 8-dan, Shizuka Hatakeyama 8-dan, Takahiro Ohashi 7-dan, and Momoko Kato Women's 4-dan, as well as large-board commentary sessions. Applications for participation will begin on Monday, April 6th, Reiwa 8 (2026).

[Related Event Outline] 1. Pre-match Festival Date and Time: Friday, May 15th, Reiwa 8 (2026), 18:00 to 20:00 *Doors open at 17:30 Venue: Hotel Avest Grande Takatsuki (1-14-1 Akutagawa-cho, Takatsuki City) Capacity: 60 people (抽選 if many applicants) Target: Junior high school students and older Content: A social gathering where both players will appear before the match. Participation Fee: 15,000 yen

2. Large-board Commentary Session Date and Time: Saturday, May 16th, Reiwa 8 (2026), 13:00 until the sealed move *Doors open at 12:00 Sunday, May 17th, Reiwa 8 (2026), 10:00 until the end of the match *Doors open at 9:00 *Ends at 21:30 regardless of the end of the match Venue: Torishima Hall, South Building, Takatsuki Castle Park Arts and Culture Theater (6-8 Nomi-cho, Takatsuki City) Capacity: Approximately 1,300 people each day (抽選 if many applicants) Target: Elementary school students and older Content: Live viewing with commentary by professional shogi players on a large screen. Participation Fee: May 16th: S seat 2,500 yen, A seat 2,000 yen, B seat 1,500 yen, C seat 1,000 yen May 17th: S seat 3,500 yen, A seat 3,000 yen, B seat 2,000 yen, C seat 1,500 yen

3. Match Viewing (during sealed move opening) Date and Time: Sunday, May 17th, Reiwa 8 (2026), from 8:40 Venue: Match venue within the South Building, Takatsuki Castle Park Arts and Culture Theater Capacity: 5 people (抽選 if many applicants) Target: Elementary school students and older residing in Takatsuki City Content: Approximately 20 minutes of match viewing, including the opening of the sealed move on the second day of the match. Participation Fee: Free

[Application Method] Apply online via the Takatsuki City Tourism Association website. https://www.takatsuki-kankou.org/info/3690/ Application Period: From Monday, April 6th to Sunday, April 19th, Reiwa 8 (2026)

[Contact for this matter] Takatsuki City Tourism Association Phone: 072-675-0081 *9:00 to 17:00 (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays)