6.85-sun Shogi Floor Board – Kyushu Kaya, Single-piece, Straight-grain cut

About the Wood

This board is made from a single plank of kaya grown in Kyushu. Kaya has been used for shogi and Go boards for centuries, valued for its moderate elasticity and distinctive sound when pieces are placed. The board has a calm yellow tone and a clean, undistracted surface with no knots.

About the Construction

The board is cut from a single log, with no lamination. The natural character of the wood appears as it is across the surface — straight grain, a settled yellow tone, and a face with nothing to take away from it.

About the Straight Grain

This board is cut in masame, or straight-grain — a method where the log is cut toward the center, producing parallel lines running along the length of the board. Straight-grain boards are valued for their formal, steady appearance and dimensional stability over time.

Thickness and Feel

The board is 6.85-sun thick (approximately 20.8 cm). This places it among the thickest floor-standing shogi boards made. At this thickness, the character of the sound changes entirely. The depth with which the board receives each piece — the weight, the resonance — is something that only appears at this scale.

Aging and Natural Characteristics

There is some blue-toned discoloration on the side of the board, caused by a naturally occurring microorganism during the drying process. This does not affect the strength or quality of the wood. This board has been through considerable time already; further change will be gradual. The markings at the wood end carry something of the years the tree accumulated — they are part of what this piece of wood is.

Choosing This Board

Kyushu Kaya, straight-grain, single plank, 6.85-sun. A clean surface with no knots, a calm yellow tone, and a depth of sound that belongs to this thickness alone. For those who can accept the blue discoloration on the side, this is a board worth considering seriously for what it offers at this scale.

Each board is one of a kind.
Please contact us before placing an order to confirm availability.
For orders shipped outside Japan, customs duties or local taxes may be charged upon delivery depending on the destination country.