2021 will likely go down in history as the beginning of shogi's "Fujii Era."

       Sota Fujii already held three of Shogi's eight major titles including the Oi title when he sat down to try and wrest the Ryuo title from Masayuki Toyoshima. He defeated the defending Ryuo champion four games straight, sweeping the best-of-seven tournament. At 19 years and 3 months old, Fujii also became the youngest person -- and the first teenager -- to grab four of the eight shogi titles, something only five other shogi players have ever accomplished before.

       The victory also pulled him out of a title tie with Akira Watanabe, who holds three of the eight, putting Fujii at the top of the shogi mountain. And all this just five years after Fujii made his professional debut. Some observers are calling his rise something surpassing the imaginings of manga creators and novelists.

       Indeed, Fujii's progress has been astounding. His ability to read the board quickly and deeply, his precision, and especially his endgame honed through solving shogi problems all won Fujii praise from the beginning. Recently, he has reportedly incorporated cutting-edge AI technology into the study of his opening, considered his weak point.

       Since summer 2020, Fujii has played six title tournaments against top opponents, including defenses, and continued to post a winning percentage over 80 all that time. He is truly an overwhelming force on the shogi board.

       Fujii's desire to thoroughly investigate his path forward is far greater than others'. Last year, when he won the Oi championship to bring his major title total to two, he commented, "However far I go, I will never be at the summit." And after taking the Ryuo title on Nov. 13, he said, "There were a lot of problems in my game, and I want to improve." With that kind of straightforward dedication, he could do naught but put all his energies into every single move.

       Fujii has, by becoming an exceptional star and social phenomenon, also created changes in the environment surrounding the game itself.

       For one, there are now many more "miru sho" (spectator shogi) fans, who enjoy watching pro match internet livestreams. AI used to rate moves and estimate the prospects of victory or defeat in real time are also helping boost the game's popularity. Meanwhile, sports magazines are running special shogi features, and overall interest in the shogi world is rising. And if more children get to know how fun it is, shogi could grow yet further and enliven the game.

       New Ryuo champion Fujii has also won four straight matches in the Osho title challengers' league stage, putting him in the lead. If he keeps winning, he could claim his fifth major shogi title within the year. And expectations are rising that he may also become the youngest player to ever take the Meijin title.

       Shogi is a battle of intellectual power that helps us feel the boundlessness of human potential. We shall be watching Fujii seek to climb to ever greater heights with our hearts pounding.

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