The Current State of Research on the Introduction and Evolution of Shogi in Japan and its Relation to Buddhism and Shintoism

Abstract

The names of shogi pieces, which developed uniquely after their introduction to Japan, can be thought of as having been given religious meanings in the Buddhist temples and shrines where they were thought to have been improved. The Tai Shogi , the largest shogi game made by the Muromachi period (1333-1573), was a mandala, a symbol of the Buddhist worldview (which also exists in Shintoism) that imitated the universe with its wide board and various pieces.