Tendō (天童市, Tendō-shi) is a city located in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 February 2020, the city had an estimated population of 61,947 in 22392 households, and a population density of 550 persons per km2. The total area of the city is 113.01 square kilometres (43.63 square miles).
Shogi pieces make nifty souvenirs. Expect to pay about ¥1000 for a single piece with the character stamped directly on the wood (oshi goma), depending on the size. These are handsome for display, even if they wouldn't suffice for tournament play. Pieces that were painted and lacquered (kaki goma) by machine begin at ¥2000; prices for hand-carved pieces escalate quickly, depending on the quality of the wood involved, to ¥80,000 and up for the highest-grade (moriage goma).
JR Tendo Station is on the Yamagata Shinkansen, about three hours from Tokyo and one stop north of Yamagata. It's also on the JR Ou Main Line between Fukushima and Aomori, about 20 minutes from Yamagata.
Everything is within walking distance of the station, either in the station building itself or down the main street, Kamatahoncho, east of the station. As you head down Kamatahoncho, keep an eye out for the tobacco shop with an homage to Magritte's "Ceci n'est pas une pipe" along the way, as well as a couple of giant shogi pieces to pose with.
Local estimates claim that as many as 95% of the shogi pieces produced in Japan are made in Tendo. (Presumably, this was phrased to exclude any plastic sets that are made abroad.) Originally, only Yamagata wood was used in making shogi pieces. Today, wood imported from Cambodia, China, and Thailand fills the bulk of production, while native Japanese boxwood from Kagoshima and Mikurajima is reserved for the high-grade pieces.
Shogi is believed to have come to Japan in the Heian period, and it shares a common ancestor with Western chess. It also shares some pieces and strategies with chess, though pieces can be promoted to gain new movements, and captured pieces can be returned to play as turncoats against their original owner.
