The Santa Monica Go Club will host Japanese professional player Kenro Osawa 4P at a special go event in Los Angeles June 17-18; the visit is supported by the Japan Foundation. Osawa will provide insights, lessons, and demonstrations on the game of go. “As part of a cultural and knowledge exchange, Osawa-san is very excited to visit Los Angeles, share his expertise, and help others learn about the game,” reports the Santa Monica Go Club’s Brent Russell. Check out an introductory video from Osawa and the Nihon-Kiin.
The event will be held in the salon at Japan House Los Angeles in the Ovation Hollywood entertainment complex from 10am - 7pm each day. The main session will end at 4pm, with the remainder of the day reserved for free play and private lessons. Registration and attendance is $40 per day with an included lunch provided by Shinsen-gumi. Participants may choose to attend either one of or both days of the event, as lessons and content will vary each day. Online registration will open soon, and family discounts will be available.
Osawa will be playing and reviewing demonstration games, playing simultaneous games against attendees and providing reviews, discussing questions presented by attendees, and reviewing games among volunteer participants. He may also indulge in some fun go variants such as One-Color Go or Music Go. He’ll also be available for small group private lessons after the seminars end at 4pm for those looking for extra in-depth learning. There will be two one-hour lessons of 5 people available each day, at a cost of $20 per person.
“It has been too long since Los Angeles has had any visiting professional go players,” says Russell. “As the go scene in southern California continues to recover and grow from the pandemic, we are excited to host this unique event with a professional go player. While we have had other professional players visit go clubs in Southern California while vacationing in the US, this is the first Japanese professional who has made a visit in a very long time.”