From: Dick Iwakura <dick <at> SHOGI <dot> NE <dot> JP>
Date: 20 mar 2001
Subject: Re: Japanese Numerals

I am sorry for the delay of this answer, dear my friend.

On Sat, 17 Mar 2001 12:47:14 EST
Michael Breier <Ajowan <at> AOL <dot> COM> wrote:

> My apologies on my paucity of knowledge about Japanese culture.  I have done
> some (very) cursory research and discovered that there is indeed a native
> Japanese number set.  In fact, it seems there are at least two, with one of
> them apparently dubbed "Sino-Japanese" numerals in some circles.

Yes, you are quite right. Before Meiji Era. we had used special notation.
We assigned each position in one word. For example,
1a = i, 1b = ro, 1c = ha, 1d = ni (iroha system in a word)
Therefore, L-1c = Lha. (13 Kyo) (^^;

> My previous
> question now becomes the following three: Am I right to assume that Shogi at
> one time used Japanese numerals for notation?

Yes, you are right.

> If so, when and why the
> change?  Lastly, is there an impetus to restore that practice today?  Thanks
> again.
>
After beginning Meiji Era., we started importing something better from
Europe very rapidly in a short time.
The old Japanese numeric system (iroha system) was thrown away in due
course and people began to use alpha-numeric system for Shogi notation.
However, I don't have an exact answer about WHY ? unfortunately.
I am sorry.

Dick