Kana Fukuma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kana Fukuma |
|
|---|---|
Satomi at a shogi event in August 2009.
|
|
| Native name | 福間香奈 |
| Maiden name | Satomi (里見) |
| Born | March 2, 1992 |
| Hometown | Izumo, Shimane |
| Career | |
| Achieved professional status | October 1, 2004 (aged 12) |
| Badge Number | W-33 |
| Rank | Women's 6-dan |
| Teacher | Keiji Mori (9-dan) |
| Current titles held |
|
| Lifetime titles |
|
| Major titles won | 63 |
| Websites | |
| JSA profile page | |
Kana Fukuma (福間 香奈, Fukuma Kana, née Satomi (里見)) born March 2, 1992 is a Japanese professional shogi player. Shogi is a strategy board game similar to chess. She holds the rank of 6-dan in women's professional shogi.
Kana Fukuma is one of the most successful women's shogi players ever. She currently holds many important titles, including the Women's Meijin, Women's Ōi, Women's Ōza, Kurashiki Tōka Cup, Seirei, and Jo-Ō titles. She has won more major titles than any other woman in shogi history.
She was also the first woman to reach the 3-dan rank in the Japan Shogi Association's apprentice program. This program trains players to become full professional shogi players. She was also the first woman to take the official test to become a regular professional shogi player.
Contents
Early Life and Shogi Journey
Kana Fukuma was born in Izumo, Shimane, Japan, on March 2, 1992. She started playing shogi at a young age.
In 2003, when she was in fifth grade, she played in a big tournament for elementary school students. She reached the semifinals, showing her great talent early on.
Later in 2003, she joined the Japan Shogi Association's program for young women who want to become professional shogi players. Her teacher was the shogi professional Keiji Mori. In October 2004, she officially became a women's professional shogi player with the rank of 2-kyū.
Becoming a Women's Shogi Champion
Kana Fukuma quickly rose through the ranks in women's shogi. In September 2008, she won her first major title, the Kurashiki Tōka Cup. She defeated Ichiyo Shimizu in the final match. This win also earned her a promotion to women's professional 2-dan.
She successfully defended her Kurashiki Tōka Cup title for four years in a row, from 2009 to 2012. By winning in 2012, she earned the special "Queen Kurashiki Toka" lifetime title. At 20 years old, she was the youngest woman to ever earn a lifetime title in shogi.
Fukuma has continued to win many titles throughout her career. She has won the Women's Ōi title ten times, earning her the "Queen Ōi" lifetime title. She also holds the record for the most consecutive wins of a women's major title, winning the Women's Meijin title twelve times in a row.
In September 2019, she made history by winning the first-ever Seirei tournament. This victory made her the first woman in professional shogi to hold six major titles at once, a "6-crown title holder." She has since earned the "Queen Seirei" lifetime title for her five Seirei wins.
She has also won the Women's Ōza title eight times, earning her the "Queen Ōza" lifetime title. In February 2024, she won her 13th Women's Meijin title. This was her first Meijin title win under her married name, Fukuma. In May 2024, she successfully defended her Women's Ōi title for the sixth time in a row.
In June 2025, Fukuma won the Women's Mynavi Open Jo-Ō title. This victory brought her back to holding six major titles at once, making her a "6-crown" player again.
Playing Against Regular Professionals
Kana Fukuma has also achieved notable results against male professional shogi players. These players are often called "regular professionals."
In June 2019, she became the first woman to win four official games in a row against regular professionals. In July 2019, she was the third woman to win a game against a male professional in the NHK Cup TV Tournament.
In May 2022, she made history again by defeating Yūta Komori. This win allowed her to qualify for the main tournament of a major title, the Kiō tournament. This was a first for a women's professional player. Her strong performance against male professionals showed her high skill level.
Journey to Become a Regular Professional
In April 2011, even though she was already a successful women's professional, Kana Fukuma wanted to become a full "regular" professional shogi player. She joined the Japan Shogi Association's apprentice school. She passed the entrance exam and started as an apprentice 1-kyū.
She quickly moved up the ranks in the apprentice school. In January 2012, she became the first female apprentice to reach 1-dan. By December 2013, she was the first female to be promoted to apprentice 3-dan. This meant she could join the 3-Dan League, which is the final step to becoming a regular professional.
However, health issues caused her to take a break from shogi in 2014. She missed several 3-Dan League seasons. When she returned, she continued to play in the league but did not achieve the winning record needed to become a regular professional through this path.
Professional Admission Test
In June 2022, the Japan Shogi Association accepted Kana Fukuma's application to take the Professional Admission Test. She was the first woman to be allowed to take this test. To pass, she needed to win three out of five games against recently promoted regular professionals.
The test games were played from August to October 2022. Unfortunately, Fukuma lost her first three games. This meant she did not pass the test to become a regular professional at that time. However, this did not affect her status as a highly successful women's professional player.
Personal Life
Kana Fukuma's younger sister, Saki Satomi, is also a women's professional shogi player. They are one of only a few pairs of sisters to both become professional shogi players.
On January 1, 2024, the Japan Shogi Association announced that Kana Satomi had gotten married in 2023. She started competing under her married name, Kana Fukuma. Her husband is Kenta Fukuma, a former shogi apprentice professional.
In August 2024, it was announced that Fukuma was pregnant. Because of her health, her shogi matches were played differently. She used a table and chairs instead of sitting in the traditional seiza style. She also did not wear traditional Japanese clothing like kimonos during these matches.
In October 2024, the Japan Shogi Association announced that Fukuma would take a break from shogi from November 2024 to February 2025. Some of her important title matches were postponed until after her break.
On January 1, 2025, Fukuma announced that she had safely given birth to her first child in mid-December. She thanked everyone for their understanding and support during her leave. She also expressed hope for future changes to make it easier for women professionals to balance their careers and family life.
After returning from her leave, Fukuma continued her strong performance. She successfully defended her Women's Ōza title in March 2025. She also defended her Kurashiki Tōka Cup title and her Women's Meijin title in March and April 2025, respectively.
Promotion History
Kana Fukuma has been promoted in women's professional shogi as follows:
- 2-kyū: October 1, 2004
- 1-kyū: April 1, 2006
- 1-dan: February 22, 2007
- 2-dan: September 29, 2008
- 3-dan: April 1, 2009
- 4-dan: February 10, 2010
- 5-dan: October 18, 2011
- 6-dan: April 1, 2020
Major Titles Won
Kana Fukuma has played in 80 major title matches and won a total of 63 titles. She has earned several lifetime titles, which are special honors given for winning a title many times. These include "Queen Meijin," "Queen Ōshō," "Queen Kurashiki Tōka," "Queen Ōi," "Queen Ōza," and "Queen Seirei."
| Title | Years Won | Total Wins |
|---|---|---|
| Women's Meijin | 2009–2020 and 2023–2024 (current) | 14 |
| Kurashiki Tōka Cup | 2008–2012 and 2015–2024 (current) | 15 |
| Women's Ōshō | 2010–2012, 2015–2018 and 2021 | 8 |
| Women's Ōi | 2012, 2015–2017 and 2019–2024 (current) | 10 |
| Women's Ōza | 2013, 2016–2018 and 2021–2024 (current) | 8 |
| Jo-Ō | 2013, 2025 (current) | 2 |
| Seirei | 2019–2020 and 2022–2024 (current) | 5 |
| Hakurei | 2022 | 1 |
Awards and Honors
Kana Fukuma has received many awards from the Japan Shogi Association and other organizations. These awards recognize her amazing achievements in shogi and her contributions to Japanese society.
Annual Shogi Awards
She has won the "Women's Professional of the Year" award many times, including every year from 2009 to 2025. She has also received the "Women's Professional Award" and "Game of the Year Special Prize" multiple times.
Other Awards
- 2007, March: Shimane Prefecture Cultural Activity Award
- 2010, March: Shimane Prefecture Meritorious Person Award
