Ichiyo Shimizu


Ichiyo Shimizu is a Japanese women's professional shogi player ranked 7-dan. In May 2017, Shimizu became the first woman to be elected as an executive director to the Japan Shogi Association's board of directors. In June 2025, she became the first woman to be elected the association's president.

Early life and apprentice women's shogi professional

Shimizu was born on January 9, 1969, in Higashimurayama, Tokyo. In 1983, she won the 15th Amateur Women's Meijin Tournament while she was a junior high school student. That same year, she entered the Japan Shogi Association's Women's Professional Apprentice League under the guidance of shogi professional. She achieved the rank of women's professional 2-kyū in April 1985, thus becoming the first apprentice to graduate from the Women's Professional Apprentice League system.

Women's shogi professional

In October 2000, Shimizu became the first women's professional to be promoted to the rank of women's 6-dan.
In November 2016, Shimizu defeated Tomomi Kai in a women's meijin league game to become the second women's professional to win 600 official games.
, Shimizu's career record versus male professionals in official games is 29 wins and 156 losses.

Promotion history

Shimizu has been promoted as follows.
  • 2-kyū: April 1, 1985
  • 1-dan: January 17, 1986
  • 2-dan: September 21, 1987
  • 3-dan: February 8, 1988
  • 4-dan: April 1, 1992
  • 5-dan: April 1, 1995
  • 6-dan: October 1, 2000
  • 7-dan: April 1, 2020
Note: All ranks are women's professional ranks.

Titles and other championships

Shimizu has appeared in major title matches a total of 70 times and has won a total of 43 titles. She has won the Women's Meijin title ten times, the title nine times, the title fourteen times and the ten times. She has been awarded the lifetime titles of Queen Meijin,, and. In addition to major titles, Shimizu has won 11 other shogi championships.

Other championships

Note: Tournaments marked with an asterisk are no longer held or currently suspended.

Awards and honors

Shimizu has received a number of Japan Shogi Association Annual Shogi Awards and other awards in recognition of her accomplishments in shogi and contributions made to Japanese society.

Annual Shogi Awards

  • 15th Annual Awards : Women's Professional Award
  • 19th Annual Awards : Women's Professional Award
  • 21st Annual Awards : Women's Professional Award
  • 22nd Annual Awards : Women's Professional Award
  • 23rd Annual Awards : Women's Professional Award
  • 24th Annual Awards : Women's Professional Award, Special Award
  • 25th Annual Awards : Women's Professional Award
  • 26th Annual Awards : Women's Professional Award
  • 28th Annual Awards : Women's Professional of the Year
  • 29th Annual Awards : Women's Professional Award
  • 31st Annual Awards : Women's Professional of the Year
  • 32nd Annual Awards : Women's Professional of the Year
  • 35th Annual Awards : Women's Professional of the Year
  • 36th Annual Awards : Women's Professional of the Year
  • 37th Annual Awards : Women's Professional of the Year
  • 38th Annual Awards : Women's Professional Most Games Played
  • 39th Annual Awards : Women's Professional Award, Women's Professional Most Games Played
  • 42nd Annual Awards : Women's Professional Most Games Played

Other awards

JSA executive

In May 2017, Shimizu became the first women to be elected as an executive director to the Japan Shogi Association's board of directors. She was re-elected to additional two-year terms in June 2019, June 2021 and June 2023. On June 6, 2025, Shimizu became the first woman elected president of the association.