Fred Baldwin found this on a Twitter feed. Yoshida Kenkō was a Japanese author and Buddhist monk. His most famous work is
Tsurezuregusa (Essays in Idleness), one of the most studied works of medieval Japanese literature. Kenko wrote during the Muromachi and Kamakura periods.
American Go E-Journal
Go Spotting: Yoshida Kenkō
Thursday January 11, 2018
S. Korean drama “Reply 1988” sparks interest in baduk
Wednesday January 10, 2018
Baduk is experiencing heightened popularity in Turkey, especially among female players, thanks to the South Korean television
series ‘Reply 1988′ in which Park Bo-gum (left) features as “A genius go player who is mostly quiet and struggles with simple day-to-day tasks.” The popular show has led to an increase in ‘Hallyu’ fans who are interested in the game,” according to the Turkish Go Players Association. Hallyu, or the Korean Wave, refers to the popularity of South Korean musical acts, tv shows, movies and other cultural products worldwide. Read more here.
photo (r): Korean Cultural Center in Turkey
Go Spotting: “The Memory Palace of Mateo Ricci”
Wednesday January 10, 2018
“The Memory Palace of Mateo Ricci” includes a reference to a European coming across go in China, reports Jose Santiago. 
On page 157 of Jonathan D Spencer’s book (Penguin Books, 1984 ed.), is a section describing a memory method used by the Jesuits and previously by Greek and Roman scholars referred to as Memory Palaces:
“Hortensius recalled every price of every item sold at auction, while Chen Jian recalled each detail of his accounting books and the produce of his looms. Scaevola, riding back to his home in the country, could replay in his head every move of the pieces in the board game he had lost, while Wang Can could do the same with the game of Chinese checkers (weiqi) where he had been only a spectator.”
“I recall my friend Victor Chow 5p being able to recall five games he played simultaneously in Oxford,” Santiago adds. “I can do about 50 moves with difficulty!”
Suggestions and Feedback Wanted for AGHS Events
Tuesday January 9, 2018
“Attention youth players, The American Go Honor Society (AGHS) wants your opinion,” says Promotion Head Gabby Su. “In order to make plans for this upcoming year, we have created a survey to gauge your interest in participating in events such as a youth go league or an international friendship match. Feel free to also suggest your own.” If you want to receive updates from the AGHS about upcoming events, please include your email on the form to be added to a mailing list. Click here to fill out the form. – Lionel Zhang, Youth Liaison
Pasadena Go Club: A Strong Opening
Tuesday January 9, 2018
The first meeting of the Pasadena Go Club on Sunday, January 7 was well attended with eight people showing up with ranks 
ranging from 15k to 7d. “Mark Lee 7d is planning on attending as much as possible, and helping attendees get stronger,” reports Kevin Hwang (at right in photo). “There is also a good spread of kyu ranked players looking for games.” The club plans to continue meeting weekly on Sundays from 12-4p at the Whole Foods in Pasadena (465 S Arroyo Pkwy, Pasadena, CA 91105). Look for the club in the public area on the first floor. Parking is free and boards will be provided, although visitors are encouraged to bring their own sets. For more information, you can e-mail pasadenago@gmail.com
ranging from 15k to 7d. “Mark Lee 7d is planning on attending as much as possible, and helping attendees get stronger,” reports Kevin Hwang (at right in photo). “There is also a good spread of kyu ranked players looking for games.” The club plans to continue meeting weekly on Sundays from 12-4p at the Whole Foods in Pasadena (465 S Arroyo Pkwy, Pasadena, CA 91105). Look for the club in the public area on the first floor. Parking is free and boards will be provided, although visitors are encouraged to bring their own sets. For more information, you can e-mail pasadenago@gmail.comGot go club news? Share it with the world! Email us at journal@usgo.org and be sure to include photos!
Go Spotting: PBS NewsHour
Tuesday January 9, 2018
“You might easily miss it,” writes Dewey Cornell, “but in my recent interview with PBS NewsHour you can see my go board and bowl
in the background.”
Yuan Zhou returns for 11th North Carolina Workshop
Monday January 8, 2018
“These Yuan Zhou Workshops just keep getting better and better,” says Bob Bacon. The Eleventh North Carolina Workshop
with Yuan Zhou — a popular teacher and lecturer who continues to compete — was held December 8-10, 2017, in Raleigh, North Carolina. A highlight of this year’s workshop, hosted by the Triangle Go Group, was Zhou’s review of a game from this year’s CCTV Cup, between professional 9 dan Tang Weixing and 5 dan Peng Liyao. Many current professional games are already exhibiting moves favored by Go Seigen and popularized by AlphaGo, and Yuan Zhou explained the meaning and utility of these moves. Zhou also excels at explaining Chinese language phrases and meanings relating to go, and this year, in addition to sharing many new expressions, he shared some of the meaning of professional 9 dan Tang Weixing’s name (唐 韦星), tracing the surname Tang back to the seventh century A.D. Dynasty, and the meaning of xing as a celestial star. Read Bacon’s complete report here.
photo by Bob Bacon
Your Move/Readers Write: Ukiyo-e at Shizuoka
Monday January 8, 2018
“I read your article about the Tokugawa Memorial Go Congress set for February 2017 in Shizuoka,” writes Erwin 
Gerstorfer. “One additional bit of information that might be interesting to the readers of the American Go E-Journal is an exhibition of go-related Ukiyo-e — woodblock prints and paintings — in the Tokaido Hiroshige Art Museum of Shizuoka that will take place from February 6th to April 1st, 2018. There was a go related Ukiyo-e exhibition in Villach, Austria in 2007 in conjunction with the European Go Congress but this one will be bigger and more exciting and taking place in a dedicated Ukiyo-e museum.”
“I have met one of the Japanese organizers of the go festival at the European Go Congress in Oberhof last summer and my impression is that this event is well worth a visit. They are very dedicated to that event and especially interested in international participation. You can reach Shizuoka from Tokyo by train (Shinkansen) in about 90 min and there are several trains a day.”
Image: Kubo Shunman’s “Outfit for the Go Game”
EJ seeks news editors
Sunday January 7, 2018
The E-Journal team has immediate openings for news editors. Anyone interested should email journal@usgo.org; no experience necessary but enthusiasm and a good sense of humor helpful. These are volunteer positions and the time commitment depends on availability. The American Go E-Journal is the most widely-read English-language go publication in the world.
South Central Go Tournament registration open
Sunday January 7, 2018
Registration is now open for the South Central Go Tournament, coming up February 17-18, in Plano, TX (Dallas area). “The 
preceding two tournaments have been well attended and provided 6 rounds of exciting play for competitors,” reports Bob Gilman. “The prior tournaments have attracted players from around Texas and from other states as well. There will be both an Open Section (no handicaps), and a Handicap Section. It will be a good chance to meet and play with people from outside your local community.”
The tournament will be an American Go Association (AGA) rated tournament, so players must be current AGA members at the time of the tournament. AGA membership must be taken care of in advance of the tournament.
On-line registration is available here. You can find AGA membership information and join or renew on-line here. Full information (and a link to registration) is available on the event Facebook page.