From: Hiroki Kawada MERL HITACHI CO JP> Date: 23 jan 1996 Subject: Re: notation Again, I have to answer to Sunny-san's comment. >Martin-san wrote; >:Let's think what's going on in Judo, for example. The association of Judo >:in Japan is sticking to white uniform, while European association started >:using colorful uniform. I know the white uniform means something in >:Japanese culture, but Judo is not the property of Japanese culture, any >:more. It is played by many peoples in the world. Too much Japanese style >:may be sometimes disturbing for 'international' games." Above is a part of my last answer, not Martin-san's. >I don't think that example is adequate to refer in the notation and descri- >ption of Shogi. You can make the board and pieces using plastics, rubber or >even metal on any kind of color. No one will complain on it. >That has nothing to do with Japanese culture. It's not the point. Even if you don't care about board and pieces, some other Japanese people may require wooden board and pieces to foreign players because those Japanese may think the instruments are essential in Japanese culture. Who determines what is important and not in the international games originated in Japan? It is not allowed only Japanese has a large influence on international game. We cannot force foreign players to follow us. That is the point I wanted explain with the story of Judo. >Let us follow that way. >"White Queen" is not the Annapurna. >Hearing that, Indian people might not get angry, but sure to make a sigh. A climber may not give up his plan to climb "Annapurna" for reason that "Annapurna" is hard to spell and remember. But in shogi, players have to remember the name of pieces when they read game scores. Japanese name should be difficult when a beginner reads a shogi book for the first time. As Martin Danerud wrote before, biginners will start some other games. >Technical problem in expressing the real name is the one to be resolved. >People who prefer the "easy" way will not be able to overcome the difficu- >lty in learning Shogi. I do not agree to this opinion. What Japanese people have to do is to decrease the difficulty in learning shogi, not to increase the difficulty. with regards, Hiroki Kawada Hiroki Kawada * "After the defeat Mechanical Engineering Res. Lab., * it is a valuable time." Sec. 15, Hitachi, Ltd., * K. Yonenaga, Kandatsu 502, Tsuchiura, * Shogi (Japanese chess) player Ibaraki 300 Japan