Shogi, Go champions given nat'l award for sweeping major titles

TOKYO, Japan -Feb. 13:The government bestowed Tuesday the People's Honor Award on two champions of the Japanese traditional board games of shogi and Go, making the two men the first recipients of the prize in their respective fields. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gave the awards to shogi champion Yoshiharu Habu, 47, and Go master Yuta Iyama, 28, in a ceremony at his office. Habu captured the Ryuo title late last year and became the first-ever champion to hold all seven major lifetime titles of shogi, a board game also known as Japanese chess. Iyama secured all seven titles of Japanese Go for the second time, recapturing the title of Meijin in a match in October. Established in 1977, the People's Honor Award has been given to 25 individuals -- including the two latest recipients -- and one group for their achievements in sports, entertainment and culture. Wrestling champion Kaori Icho was given the award in 2016 after she became the first female wrestler to win gold medals at four consecutive Olympic Games, following the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.