Sekigahara: The Unification of Japan

[jeromie]

I enjoy playing games other than Go from time to time, and this title recently caught my eye. It's a well regarded wargame that depicts the conflict between Tokugawa Ieyasu and Ishida Mitsunari for control of Japan. From the reviews I have read, it sounds like the game does a good job of drawing players into a semi-realisitic (though very abstract) model of the historical conflict. There is, for instance, a mechanism that depicts the shifting loyalties of the various clans that participated in the war, a decisive element of the fight for unification.

The time period under question seems like it may be of particular interest to Go players. In the real war Tokugawa was victorious and established the first shogunate. Shortly thereafter, he appointed the priest Nikkai to the first official Go office in Japan. Nikkai later took the name Honinbo Sansa, establishing the Honinbo house. Much of the Japanese history of our beloved game hinges upon the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate.

You can read more about the game at boardgamegeek.com Unfortunately it's currently out of stock, but there is a preorder system at GMT games if you'd like to get in line for the third printing.

[goTony]

Very interesting thanks for the info.

[Abyssinica]

Rip Mitsunari Ishida and the Toyotomi family. I believed in you.