JR Takatsuki Station Shogi Player Announcements to Return Due to Popular Demand

In commemoration of the first anniversary of the relocation and opening of the "Kansai Shogi Hall," the western sanctuary of the Shogi world, in Takatsuki City, station announcements featuring players and female players of the Japan Shogi Association were implemented at JR Takatsuki Station from November 2025 to April 2026. Due to the positive response from station users and Shogi fans, it has been decided that these announcements will resume from Tuesday, June 16, 2026.

The station announcements by Shogi players were implemented from November 2025 to April 2026 to commemorate the first anniversary of the Kansai Shogi Hall's relocation to Takatsuki City. Since the voices of the players, which are usually only heard during post-game analysis sessions or events, could be enjoyed within the station, the broadcasts received favorable comments such as "I'm happy to hear my favorite player's voice" and "My commute has become more enjoyable," gaining popularity among station users and Shogi fans. In response to this feedback, it was decided to resume the station announcements, which were originally scheduled to end in April 2026, from Tuesday, June 16, 2026. This initiative was realized with the cooperation of West Japan Railway Company and the Japan Shogi Association, with the aim of making "Shogi Town Takatsuki" and Shogi/players more familiar to Shogi fans and station users from across the country who visit JR Takatsuki Station, the nearest station to the hall. In the announcements, a total of 37 players and female players of the Japan Shogi Association will greet station users in the morning and evening between 6:00 AM and 11:00 AM and between 5:00 PM and 10:00 PM on the station concourse, and also express gratitude for the understanding of Shogi-related initiatives. We will continue to disseminate the appeal of "Shogi Town Takatsuki" from JR Takatsuki Station, the gateway to the Kansai Shogi Hall, so please look forward to it.

Broadcast Schedule (Planned)

June 16 (Tue) - July 15 (Wed)
Kōji Tanigawa (17th Lifetime Meijin), Kenji Waki (9-dan, Managing Director), Tetsurō Itodani (9-dan, Executive Director), Takeshi Tsuruno (PR Ambassador for "Shogi Town Takatsuki")

July 16 (Thu) - July 31 (Fri)
Kiyozumi Kiriyama (9-dan), Bunzo Fukuzaki (9-dan), Masahiko Urano (8-dan), Kana Fukuma (Women's 5-crown)

August 1 (Sat) - August 15 (Sat)
Ichiyo Shimizu (Women's 7-dan, President), Toshiaki Kubo (9-dan), Keita Inoue (9-dan), Yuta Komori (5-dan)

August 16 (Sun) - August 31 (Mon)
Yasumitsu Sato (9-dan), Akira Inaba (8-dan), Ryuma Tojo (7-dan), Momoko Kato (Women's 4-dan)

September 1 (Tue) - September 15 (Tue)
Takayuki Yamasaki (9-dan), Masataka Sugimoto (8-dan), Shingo Sawada (7-dan), Io Murota (Women's 3-dan)

September 16 (Wed) - September 30 (Wed)
Kazuhiro Nishikawa (6-dan), Naoshi Ohishi (7-dan), Wakamu Deguchi (6-dan), Keika Kitamura (Women's 2-dan)

October 1 (Thu) - October 15 (Thu)
Shintaro Saito (8-dan), Seiya Tomita (5-dan), Akihiro Murata (6-dan), Chiho Murata (Women's 3-dan)

October 16 (Fri) - October 31 (Sat)
Kensuke Kitahama (8-dan), Kenshi Tokuda (5-dan), Saki Kawamata (Women's 2-dan), Akihiro Ida (5-dan)

November 1 (Sun) - November 15 (Sun)
Shinichiro Hattori (7-dan), Takuya Nishida (6-dan), Hiroto Ueno (6-dan), Sakura Ishimoto (Women's 2-dan), Kaho Sasaki (Women's 1-dan)

*Names listed in broadcast order
*Ranks as of June 9, 2026

[Related Homepage]
Information on JR Takatsuki Station Announcements by Japan Shogi Association Players and Female Players (Takatsuki City Homepage)
https://www.city.takatsuki.osaka.jp/site/shogi/164452.html