Games on the streets.

Games on the streets. (Photo: Hannah Warren)

Shogi in Tendo City

Shogi on the streets of Tendo

Hannah Warren Sep 07, 2013 - 1 min read

Games on the streets.

Shogi pieces point the way.

Tendo really sticks with the theme.

Giant shogi pieces pop up everywhere in the city.

The bridges are all labelled with giant shogi pieces.

They make interesting markers.

And they sparkle beautifully in the sun.

Even the telegraph poles are adorned with shogi plays.

And, like all Japanese cities, the manhole covers are specific to the local specialty.

Shogi is a classic game in Japan that is a little like chess, which has remained popular over hundreds of years.

Tendo, a small city in Yamagata, is the largest producer of shogi pieces, producing over 90 percent of all the pieces in Japan, and unsurprisingly, they have embraced this theme in their city streets, with shogi pieces and famous plays appearing on street signs, shops, lamp posts and pavements.

See how many you can find as you stroll around the city.

Hannah Warren

Hannah Warren @hannah.warren

Hannah lives in Sydney and spends most of her time dreaming of being somewhere else. She loves karaoke, hates making plans in advance, and will probably never be able to read a map.