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The Shinjuku Shogi Center (SCC) wasn't too difficult to find. Here are updated directions:

It is located on the north side of Yasukuni-dori about half-way between Meiji-dori and the trains running north/south.

Facing north, it is the 2nd building to the left of an unnamed street heading into Kabukicho.

To the right of the SCC building is a 7/11 which is immediately on the corner.

To the left of the SCC building is a neon sign on the 2nd floor flashing "777*777".

The subnade #9 subway station is immediately in front of the SCC building.

When you see a shogi position advertised in the building directory, then take the elevator to the 5th floor.

The club is impressive and a shogi paradise. There are more than a hundred sets out on the tables, and no shortage of opponents. I visited for two full days. Monday was a bank holiday, and by the early afternoon the club was packed with more than a couple hundred players. On Tuesday (a regular day), the club didn't fill up until sundown. The club has plenty of vending machines and a chef preparing curries, noodle soups, Japanese dishes; so you can literally play shogi all day long. On my 2nd day, one kind smiling gentlemen was working on his 4th bottle of sake, and I probably would have lost to him if I had played him earlier in the day.

I had recently been promoted to 1-Dan Amateur in the U.S., and was very pleasantly surprised at my success. Out of 24 games played, I scored 17-wins, 1-draw (my first sennichite after less than 150 games!), and 6-losses; however, I needed 9 consecutive wins to earn promotion to 2-Dan but could only achieve 5 consecutive wins. Nineteen of the 24 games were against 2-Dans. It is said that success breeds success. I had just come from Thailand where I won the best non-FIDE rated prize in my first international chess tournament with a score of 5.5/9. I attribute my steady chess improvement to my shogi activity. If you want to get good at chess, then study shogi.

The club president, Mr. Hidenobu Kaneda, is a very friendly generous person who treated me to lunch both days, and gave me complimentary copies of two of his tsume books. One of the 2-Dans (who lost to me both days) said that I played like a 3-Dan. No one believed that I was just a 1-Dan. I felt very welcome and enjoyed the onlookers comments like "strong", "good move", and "thank you very much" (after I blundered).

The musicians, neon lights, and beautiful women of Shinjuku and Kabukicho are a must-see for any tourist. I plan to make this an annual trip, and am already making arrangements to learn some Japanese. Tokyo has a well deserved reputation as the most expensive city in the world, but it also has an aspect which left me intrigued. Unlike Bangkok, everyone respected me and my space. There are literally millions of people walking around the streets of Tokyo, and it felt like everyone was clearing a path.

Best Regards,

Tim Rogalski,

Shodan in the D.C. Shogi Club

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