12 Facts About Kaoru Iwamoto

Kaoru Iwamoto, known as Honinbo Kunwa, was a Japanese professional Go player and writer who achieved the rank of 9-dan.

Kaoru Iwamoto returned to Japan to study Go, moved to Tokyo, and became a disciple of Hirose Heijiro 6-dan of Hoensha in 1913.

Kaoru Iwamoto achieved 1-dan in 1917, and swiftly rose through the ranks.

In 1924, when Nihon Ki-in was established, Kaoru Iwamoto joined it and achieved 6-dan.

Kaoru Iwamoto retired as a professional Go player and emigrated to Brazil as a coffee farmer in 1929.

Kaoru Iwamoto won the Oteai, the most important tournament in Japan at that time, in 1935.

Kaoru Iwamoto challenged the third Honinbo match against Hashimoto Utaro in 1945.

Kaoru Iwamoto's home was a temporary site for the Nihon Ki-in which was burnt out by the B-29 bombing in 1945, and he was instrumental in finding new headquarters for the Nihon Ki-in.

Kaoru Iwamoto defended the Honinbo title against Kitani Minoru in 1947, and in 1948 achieved 8-dan, becoming president of the Nihon Ki-in.

Kaoru Iwamoto later lost the Honinbo title to Hashimoto Utaro in 1950.

Kaoru Iwamoto traveled extensively throughout the West with the aim of spreading Go to Western people.

Kaoru Iwamoto achieved 9-dan in 1967, and had many disciples, including James Kerwin, the first Westerner to achieve professional status at the Nihon Ki-in.