Kouyou Touya

Kouyou is stoic, disciplined and intensely devoted to Go. His reserved demeanor can make him appear distant, but his decisions consistently show that he values the game itself more than prestige.

He is similarly restrained as a father. Rather than celebrating Akira loudly, Kouyou gives him access to professional-level study and treats his talent seriously. He even keeps Akira out of ordinary amateur tournaments because the difference in strength would make such competition unfair to other children.

Kouyou remains curious when confronted with something he cannot explain. Hikaru's supposed strength and the appearance of sai online interest him because both suggest a level of Go worth investigating, regardless of the player's identity.

Kouyou is one of Japan's strongest professional players. At his peak he holds the Meijin, Judan, Tengen and Gosei titles simultaneously before adding the Oza, giving him five major titles at once.

His Go combines enormous experience, deep reading and positional judgment. Even Sai, whose ability exceeds virtually every modern player he encounters, treats Kouyou as a worthy opponent capable of approaching the Divine Move.

Kouyou is also an accomplished teacher. Akira develops under his guidance from early childhood, while Seiji Ogata becomes one of Japan's strongest younger professionals as his student.

Kouyou enters through Akira's home and professional environment. After learning that an apparent beginner defeated his son, he becomes interested in Hikaru and later plays him in the Shinshodan Series.

His importance increases when sai appears on Internet Go. Sai immediately recognizes Touya Meijin as the opponent he has been searching for, while Kouyou becomes equally intrigued by an anonymous player whose strength cannot be matched to any known professional.

While hospitalized after suffering a heart attack, Kouyou accepts an Internet match against sai. Sai wins by half a point, and Kouyou honors a wager attached to the game by announcing his retirement from the Japanese professional circuit. He does not stop playing Go, instead using retirement to compete more freely, including overseas.

Akira Touya is Kouyou's son and student. Kouyou recognizes Akira Touya's exceptional talent and provides him with elite instruction from childhood.

Fujiwara no Sai is the mysterious opponent Kouyou encounters online. Kouyou loses their Internet match by half a point but never learns Fujiwara no Sai's identity.

Hikaru Shindou interests Kouyou because of his connection to Akira and the extraordinary flashes of Go associated with him.

Seiji Ogata is Kouyou's student and one of the leading professionals of the next generation. Seiji Ogata eventually takes the Judan title from Kouyou.

Shigeo Morishita entered the professional world around the same time as Kouyou and regards him as a long-standing rival.