Number of professional Go players Japan 2025, by rank

As of January 2025, two players were sharing among themselves the eight most prestigious titles of the Japanese Go world. Go has simple rules but is a highly complex turn-based strategy board game where players compete for territory on a Go board. Go is relatively unknown in Europe, the Americas, and Africa but enjoys popularity in Asian countries and territories such as China, Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. Go in Japan has a professional association (Nihon Ki-in), official professional leagues and titles, which, combined with international tournaments and matches, are the battleground for professional players. The rank promotion system partially operates under the principles of seniority with long-time players often possessing higher ranks. Once a rank is gained, it can not be lost. This and other factors contribute to the accumulation of the number of players at the higher end of the dan grading system in Japanese professional Go.