From: Yoshinori Sawada FA2 SO-NET NE JP> Date: 29 mar 1998 Subject: Another Shogi I and Shogi It was nearly 40 years ago. A book titled "Kekkon no Seitai" (or "Ecology of a Marriage") by Tatsuzo Ishikawa (1905-1985, novelist) became a best-seller. I also read the book at once when I was around to graduate a girls high school. I remember there was a scene in the book that a husband teaches shogi to his wife. When I read that, I thought it was wonderful if I could have a married life like that in future. Honestly, in those days, the second decade of Showa Era, I could not find any couples around who enjoyed shogi together. As I spent as long time as 13 years under medical treatment, my marriage was 20 years later since I read the book. When I got married, I did not remember shogi described in the "Kekkon no Seitai" at all. The family I had longed to have was that with believing in Jesus Christ together, praying, reading the bible and evangelizing. My husband has loved shogi and had a shogi board, but I had not found any charms in shogi. That is because we could have enough conversations each other through our faith. However, in a year of 17th anniversary, I started to be taught shogi quite by accident. I am relatively an active person and never thinker. When I was young and teaching in an elementary school, one of my colleagues said "You are intuitive rather than smart, aren't you". I actually doubt even that intuitive power, but in any case, I take action without thinking. There is a phrase, "thinking after started to run" to describe French, but in my case, I do not think even after finished to run. With such innate traits, I learnt considering for the first time through shogi. I consider for about 10 minutes to play one move. My husband sometimes amazes and admires with saying "What a long time you consider! Beginners normally cannot consider for such a long time". I guess my long consideration seemed for him just taking a break, but this action, considering was new to me. Even when I write a novel not to mention other times,I am rarely irresolute whether to go right or left. Everything is decided quickly. I am just a simple person as much as most story of a thousand pages novel, "Hyouten" (or "The Freezing Point") was made at only one night. Shogi is very complicated. Once I start to consider what the best move is, in spite of an uninitiated player, many moves come to my mind. Those moves are so many that I can hardly find a convinced move. That is why I consider again. Consequently, I have been at a loss for a long time. By the way, since my husband is a dan player, he gives me advices setting back the situation on the board. Then he often uses the words "kore mo ikkyoku no shogi da" (means this is also another shogi or this is also one of possible variations). I have heard that this means there are not so many cases you must always play a move. Coming to think about it, it seems we need this words in our daily life as well. We, human beings are apt to absolutize our preferences, customs and ideas,and cannot admit other's mistakes or stances. Sometimes you may want to even ridicule. This often occurs even in couples or families. At such a time, if you can say "that is another shogi" flexibly accepting others,I wonder the world gets more peaceful. Don't our relations have to be such cold and inhuman? It must not many that you must always do or be this. You have many moves to play. I learnt that from shogi in those days. >from "kodoku no tonari" by Ayako Miura (Born in 1922. Novelist. Had lived under medical treatment for 13 years since contracted pulmonary tuberculosis and soon supervened spinal caries in 1946. During the struggle against the deceases, baptized. After that, became cancer of the rectum and Parkinson's disease. In 1964, won a novel contest sponsored by Asahi Shinbun with "Hyouten" then started a life as a novelist. Well known works are "Hitujigaoka", "Tsumiki no Hako", "Shiokari Touge" etc..) --- Yoshinori Sawada Tokyo Japan E-mai: sawada fa2 so-net ne jp Nifty: VED05133