Database: Board Games

Among the popular board games in medieval Japan were sugoroku, originating from the Mediterranean basin; shogi, which, like chess, originates from India; and go, originating in China. Sugoroku is an ancient form of backgammon that was introduced to Japan via the Silk Road and China. It was banned for the first time at the end of the 7th century because some people became too passionate about this game, betting their possessions. It was mainly the aristocrats of the Imperial Court from Antiquity to the Middle Ages who played it; however, the game fell into disuse at the end of the 18th century. Go was likewise introduced to Japan around the 7th century and was actively practiced by the nobility of the Imperial Court.

The date and route for the introduction of shogi are not clear, although excavated objects confirm that flat pentagonal wooden pieces like today were already in use by the 11th century. Of all the medieval Japanese board games, shogi experienced the most new rules. In the Middle Ages, the following games were played: dai (large)-shogi with 130 pieces on a square board of 15x 15 squares, chu (medium)-shogi with 92 pieces on a square board of 12 x 12 which remained in use until the 20th century, and kō [sic] (small)-shogi with 42 pieces on a square board of 9 x 9. It is on the basis of the latter that contemporary shogi was invented, with 40 pieces on a board of 9 x 9 squares. The rule allowing captured opponent pieces to be reused among one's own forces was established around the 15th or 16th century. It was at this time that go or shogi masters began to receive support from feudal lords and other enthusiasts.