Tomoka Nishiyama to become first woman to enter kishi shogi ranks

Tomoka Nishiyama will become the first woman to enter Japan’s regular professional shogi ranks, breaking a century-old barrier in the typically male-dominated game, after announcing Monday morning that she would exercise her newly acquired eligibility.

Nishiyama, 31, who holds four women’s titles, told a news conference in Tokyo that she had decided to become a kishi after considering her options for two weeks.

“I received warm words from many people. I also realized how strongly I wanted to compete against strong players and aim higher,” she said.

Shogi has two separate professional classifications: kishi, which is open to both men and women, and jōryu kishi, which is exclusively for women. No woman had qualified as a kishi since the Japan Shogi Association was established in 1924.

The association introduced a system in 2025 allowing players who have won the prestigious women’s Hakurei title five times to qualify for professional status. Nishiyama won the title for a fifth time on Oct. 10 but had initially held off on deciding whether to exercise her right to play as a kishi.

She will officially become a fourth-dan professional on April 1, 2027.

Nishiyama plans to continue competing in women’s title matches alongside her new professional career.

“The women’s professional title system has a history of more than 50 years. The people who came before me have built that history,” Nishiyama said.