Yoshiharu Habu

Okay, Yoshiharu Habu is one of those people who makes you rethink what a human brain is even capable of. Picture a 15-year-old kid going pro, then in 1996 holding all seven major shogi titles at once, the first person ever to pull that off, before going on to become the only person to ever complete the permanent seven-crown. That's not a winning streak, that's a different sport. What gets me, though, is the contrast: this soft-spoken, almost shy guy sits down and unleashes the famous "Habu magic," moves so unexpected opponents visibly flinch. And he never coasted on genius, he just kept studying, writing thoughtful books, even nerding out about AI. Honestly a national treasure who happens to be ferociously good at a board game.

Yoshiharu Habu was born on September 27, 1970, in Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan, and became a professional shogi player at age 15 in 1985, only the third junior-high-school student in history to achieve the rank of 4-dan. In 1996 he became the first player ever to hold all seven major shogi titles simultaneously, a feat that remains one of the most celebrated achievements in the history of the game. He went on to become the first player to earn the right to all seven lifetime title designations (Lifetime Seven Crowns) in 2017, and received the People's Honor Award from the Japanese government in 2018. As of 2024, he holds numerous all-time records including 99 career title victories and more than 1,500 official wins.

Name (English)

Yoshiharu Habu

Name (Japanese)

羽生善治

Reading

はぶよしはる

Born

September 27, 1970 (age 55)

Zodiac / Chinese zodiac

Libra / Dog

Origin

Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan

Agency

Japan Shogi Association (Professional Player)

Active years

1985–present

Occupation

Professional shogi player / Author

High school

Tokyo Metropolitan Fujimori High School (withdrew) / Tokyo Metropolitan Ueno High School (correspondence course)

University

Did not attend university

Debut

December 1985 — promoted to 4-dan and debuted as a professional shogi player; only the third junior-high-school student in history to turn professional

Awards & achievements

• 1987 Shogi Grand Prix Best Newcomer Award and Highest Win-Rate Award (1986 season)
• 1989 Ryuo title (youngest champion in history at the time — age 19 years 2 months)
• 1994 Meijin title (first win)
• 1996 First player in shogi history to hold all seven major titles simultaneously (Ryuo, Meijin, Oi, Oza, Kioh, Osho, Kisei)
• 2008 First player in history to earn six lifetime title designations
• 2017 First player in history to earn all seven lifetime title designations (Lifetime Ryuo, Lifetime Meijin, Lifetime Oi, Honorary Oza, Lifetime Kioh, Lifetime Osho, Lifetime Kisei)
• 2018 People's Honor Award (Japan)
• 2023 Inaugural Tatsujin Tournament champion (official tournament for players aged 50 and over)

Timeline

1. 1985Promoted to 4-dan at age 15; only the third junior-high-school student to turn professional
2. 1989Won the 2nd Ryuo title at age 19 years 2 months — youngest title holder in history at the time
3. 1994Won the 52nd Meijin title, defeating Kunio Yonehana
4. 1996Became the first player in shogi history to hold all seven major titles simultaneously
5. 2008Became the first player in history to earn six lifetime title designations
6. 2017Won the 30th Ryuo title against Akira Watanabe, earning his seventh lifetime title designation — a first in history
7. 2018Received the People's Honor Award from the Japanese government
8. 2023Became the 17th postwar President of the Japan Shogi Association
9. 2024Holds numerous all-time records including 99 career title victories and more than 1,500 official wins

Spouse

Rie Hatada (married March 1996; former actress)

Children

Two daughters

Hobbies

• Chess
• Reading

Specialties

• Shogi
• Chess (amateur high-dan equivalent)

Motto

"Talent is passion that endures."

• Xhttps://x.com/yoshiharuhabu
• Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%BE%BD%E7%94%9F%E5%96%84%E6%B2%BB

Tags

• Professional shogi player
• From Tokorozawa, Saitama
• Lifetime Seven Crowns
• Simultaneous seven-title holder
• People's Honor Award
• President of Japan Shogi Association
• Junior-high-school professional

Last updated

2026-06-02

Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.