![Tendo Shogi Koma: Hand-Carved Boxwood Japanese Chess Pieces [2026]](https://jpmono.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/tendo-shogi-koma-boxwood-pieces-where-to-buy-2026-featured.jpg)
Shogi (将棋, Japanese chess) is played with flat, five-sided wooden wedges, and the kanji on their faces decide everything — direction of movement, rank, and the moment a piece is flipped to its promoted side. The finest of those pieces come from one small inland city. Tendo, in Yamagata Prefecture, makes roughly 95 percent of all the shogi koma (将棋駒, “shogi pieces”) produced in Japan, and the set covered here is a full boxwood set from that town.
What makes Tendo koma worth a closer look from outside Japan is not novelty but lineage. The craft began as honorable side work for impoverished samurai of the Tendo domain — a household whose lords descended from Oda Nobunaga — and the better grades are still finished the old way, with each character either written or carved in lacquer by hand. Boxwood (本黄楊, hon-tsuge) is the prized material: dense, fine-grained, and warm to the touch.
This guide is written for the player, collector, or gift-buyer outside Japan who wants to understand what separates a heritage Tendo set from a commodity plastic one — the wood, the lacquer-writing grades, the regional history behind the town — and how to actually buy one and have it shipped internationally. We cover the craft, the buying paths, the caveats, and where in Japan this all comes from.
🔄 Updated:
⏱️ Read time: ~11 min
- Who this is for — and who should skip it
- Product overview (from published specs)
- Price snapshot across stores
- What it does well
- Weaknesses and things to verify before buying
- Conclusion — which buyer type are you?
- Other ways to approach this purchase
- Where this comes from — place, era, and the craft tradition
- 🏆 Editor’s Pick
- ❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Who this is for — and who should skip it
- Play shogi seriously and want pieces that flip cleanly and feel substantial in hand
- Value boxwood (hon-tsuge) over plastic or pressed-wood koma
- Want a set with verifiable regional provenance from Tendo, the shogi-piece capital
- Are buying a milestone gift — a graduation, retirement, or a serious player’s first heritage set
- Appreciate lacquer-written or carved kanji as a craft object, not just a game tool
- Just want a cheap set to learn the rules — a plastic or printed set costs a fraction
- Cannot read or do not want to learn the kanji on traditional koma (no Western lettering)
- Need a board, clock, and pieces bundled — this is pieces only unless the listing states otherwise
- Expect same-day delivery — international shipping from Japan takes time
- Are uncomfortable maintaining a natural-wood object that responds to humidity
Product overview (from published specs)
The data available for this specific set is limited. Only the Amazon JP product identifier (ASIN B083ZQRVWZ) and the hero listing image were captured; no live price snapshot or full attribute table was returned at the time of writing. The table below states what the listing and the craft category establish, and marks the rest honestly rather than guessing.
| Attribute | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Item | Full shogi piece set (koma), 40 pieces total | Craft category |
| Material | Boxwood (本黄楊, hon-tsuge) | Listing / recommendation hint |
| Kanji finish | Lacquer-written / carved (kaki- or hori-goma family) | Listing / recommendation hint |
| Origin | Tendo, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan | Craft provenance |
| Board included | Unconfirmed — check the listing (koma sets are often sold piece-only) | — |
| Weight / dimensions | Unconfirmed — check manufacturer / listing | — |
| Price | Not captured at time of writing — verify on the live listing | — |
Spec sheets indicate boxwood and lacquer-applied kanji for this set; dimensions and price were not in the fetched data and should be confirmed on the listing before purchase. Prices and stock fluctuate — the affiliate links below lead to current data.
📖 Glossary — key terms
- shogi (将棋) — Japanese chess, played on a 9×9 board; captured pieces can be returned to play, so the game rarely simplifies.
- koma (駒) — the playing pieces; flat, five-sided wedges that point toward the opponent.
- tsuge / hon-tsuge (本黄楊) — true boxwood, the prized koma material — dense, fine-grained, and slow-growing.
- kaki-goma (書き駒) — “written pieces,” kanji applied with lacquer by brush.
- oshi-goma (押し駒) — “stamped pieces,” kanji impressed into the wood; the everyday grade.
- hori-goma (彫り駒) — “carved pieces,” kanji carved into the face and filled with lacquer.
- hori-ume-goma (彫り埋め駒) — “carved-and-filled pieces,” the highest grade, carved deep and the recess filled flush with lacquer, then polished.
- Ningen Shogi (人間将棋) — “human chess,” Tendo’s festival where costumed people stand in as the pieces on a giant outdoor board.
- Mogami-gawa (最上川) — the Mogami River, the artery of inland Yamagata.
Related jpmono guides to other Japanese wood, board-game, and carved-lacquer crafts — useful for comparing materials, price tiers, and gift fit.
Hyuga Go StonesThe board-game companion — clamshell stones for go
Unshu SorobanAnother precision wooden tool of the mind
Odate Magewappa
Tohoku woodwork — bentwood cedar
Kiso Boxwood CombBoxwood worked for a different daily object
Murakami Carved LacquerCarved-and-lacquered wood, a related finish
Hokkaido Kibori BearCarved-wood okimono as a collectible
Hirosaki Kogin
Another Tohoku craft born of frugal samurai households
Price snapshot across stores
Pricing for this specific set was not captured in the fetched data, so the JPY/USD figures below are marked as unavailable rather than estimated. Verify on the listing before buying. As a category reference, heritage boxwood koma sets span a very wide range depending on grade — stamped (oshi-goma) sets are the most affordable, while carved-and-filled (hori-ume-goma) sets reach collector prices.
| Store | Item / variant | Price (JPY + USD est.) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 Amazon US (search) | Browse Japanese shogi sets & boards | varies (USD) | Best if you are shopping from the US — Prime shipping, USD pricing, no international customs. Amazon US carries shogi sets, boards, and clocks from several makers, useful for comparing grades and bundles. This exact Tendo boxwood set is sourced from Japan (next row). |
| Amazon JP Global Store | Tendo boxwood (hon-tsuge) full set, ASIN B083ZQRVWZ | Not captured — verify on listing | The sourced listing for the exact item in this guide. Ships internationally from Japan to most major destinations. |
| Maker direct | Tendo workshop / Tendo shogi association shops | Varies by grade | Tendo workshops sell across grades from stamped to carved-and-filled; international shipping varies by shop. Useful for sourcing a specific grade. |
| Proxy services (Buyee / Tenso) | Forwarding for Japan-only listings | Item price + forwarding fee | Use when a desired grade is listed only on Japan-domestic stores. Adds a service fee and a consolidation step. |
Prices in USD are approximate and depend on the current exchange rate (¥150/USD baseline as of mid-2026); the JPY price is the authoritative one. No live price was available for this listing at the time of writing.
What it does well
Hon-tsuge is dense and fine-grained, giving the pieces weight and a clean “snap” when set down — the tactile cue serious players value.
Characters written or carved in lacquer read crisply and hold up far better than printed ink over years of handling.
Tendo makes roughly 95 percent of Japan’s koma; a Tendo set carries a documented regional craft lineage, not just a “Made in Japan” label.
A boxwood set reads as a milestone object — it ages well and suits graduation, retirement, or a dedicated player’s first heritage set.
Weaknesses and things to verify before buying
- Grade is everything, and it was not captured. Stamped (oshi-goma), written (kaki-goma), carved (hori-goma), and carved-and-filled (hori-ume-goma) sets differ enormously in price and finish. Confirm exactly which grade this listing sells before buying.
- Board and stand are likely not included. Koma sets are frequently sold piece-only. If you need a board (and a piece box, koma-bako), verify or budget separately.
- No live price was available. The fetched data did not include a current price; check the listing, since boxwood koma span a wide range.
- Kanji only. Traditional koma carry Japanese characters with no Western lettering. Beginners who cannot yet read them will need a reference chart.
- Natural wood responds to its environment. Boxwood can move slightly with humidity swings; avoid direct sun and radiators, and do not store sealed while damp.
- International shipping adds time and possible duties. Orders from Japan can take one to several weeks and may incur customs charges above your local threshold.
- “Boxwood” grading varies. Hon-tsuge from prized sources differs from generic boxwood; for high-grade buys, confirm the wood description with the seller.
Conclusion — which buyer type are you?
You want a carved or carved-and-filled (hori-ume-goma) heritage set as a lifetime object. Buy by grade, confirm the wood, and treat price as secondary.
You play regularly and want real boxwood with lacquer kanji at a sensible price. This Tendo set is squarely aimed at you — confirm grade and inclusions.
You want to play without a heritage outlay. A stamped (oshi-goma) Tendo set or a plastic learner set serves better — revisit boxwood later.
You only want to learn the rules or need an app-friendly travel set. A wooden heritage set is more object than you need right now.
Other ways to approach this purchase
Amazon JP Global Store pricing shifts; if you are flexible on timing, watch the listing and buy when the JPY price or yen rate is favorable.
Well-kept older Tendo koma trade actively in Japan. A proxy service can reach domestic secondhand listings, though grading takes a careful eye.
If you hold Amazon points or a rewards card, a heritage set is a sensible place to spend them — it is a long-lived object, not a consumable.
If you are still learning the rules, a plastic set and a free app will teach the game just as well; come back for boxwood when the habit sticks.
Where this comes from — place, era, and the craft tradition
Tendo sits in the inland basin of Yamagata Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region of northern Honshu. It is a Mogami River town — the great river of inland Yamagata, which gathers the snowmelt of the surrounding mountains and runs north to the Sea of Japan. The basin’s timber supply and river transport gave the area the raw material and the logistics that a wood craft needs, and the cold, snowbound winters left farming households with months of indoor time to fill.
The craft itself was born of hardship, and of a specific decision. Tendo was the seat of the Tendo domain, ruled in the late Edo period by a branch of the Oda family — descendants of the warlord Oda Nobunaga. The domain was poor. To give its low-ranking samurai a way to earn without losing face, a senior retainer named Yoshida Daihachi promoted the carving of shogi pieces as honorable side work.
His argument was pointed: making the pieces for a martial game of strategy did not shame a warrior.
That single rationalization seeded an industry. What began as a stipend supplement for impoverished samurai spread, after the Meiji Restoration ended those stipends entirely, into a town-wide trade. Tendo grew into the shogi-piece capital of Japan, and today it produces on the order of 95 percent of the nation’s koma.
- 1830 — A branch of the Oda family, descended from Oda Nobunaga, is established at Tendo as the Tendo domain.
- Late Edo period — Senior retainer Yoshida Daihachi promotes shogi-piece carving as honorable side work for low-ranking samurai.
- 1868 — The Meiji Restoration ends samurai stipends; piece-carving spreads from the warrior class into a town-wide trade.
- Early 20th c. — Tendo consolidates as Japan’s dominant production center for shogi koma.
- 1956 — The Tendo Ningen Shogi (human chess) festival is first held on Maizuruyama, dramatizing the town’s identity.
- Late 20th c. — Tendo shogi pieces are recognized as a traditional Japanese craft (dentōteki kōgeihin).
- 2026 — Tendo still makes roughly 95 percent of the nation’s koma, across grades from stamped to carved-and-filled.
“Making the pieces for a martial game of strategy did not shame a warrior — and on that single argument, an impoverished domain grew into the shogi-piece capital of Japan.”
The continuity is real and visible. Tendo’s workshops still grade pieces the old way — stamped (oshi-goma) for everyday play, written (kaki-goma) by lacquer brush, carved (hori-goma), and at the top, carved-and-filled (hori-ume-goma), where the recess of each character is filled flush with lacquer and polished. The prized wood is boxwood (hon-tsuge), historically drawn from sources such as Mikurajima, an island far to the south. The town keeps its identity alive publicly, too — most vividly in the annual Ningen Shogi held on Maizuruyama, where costumed people stand in for the pieces on a giant outdoor board while professional players call the moves.
The region around Tendo gives the craft its cultural weight. A short distance away stands Yamadera (Risshaku-ji), the cliffside temple where the poet Matsuo Bashō wrote one of his most quoted verses — a reminder that inland Yamagata has long been a place of contemplative depth, not a backwater. The same prefecture that produces the pieces also produces the quiet that strategy games reward.
Tendo is also a hot-spring town, and Yamagata more broadly is dotted with preserved onsen townscapes such as Ginzan. The seasonal rhythm matters to the craft: the long northern winters that once kept samurai households indoors carving pieces are the same winters that draw visitors to the baths today. Buying a Tendo set is, in a small way, buying into that rhythm — an object made where the cold gave people time to make things well.
🏆 Editor’s Pick
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Does Amazon JP ship Tendo shogi sets internationally?
Many items on the Amazon JP Global Store ship to most major destinations, and shogi koma are small and light, which keeps shipping manageable. Confirm that your country is listed at checkout, and expect a delivery window of roughly one to several weeks.
What is the difference between the koma grades?
From most affordable to highest: stamped (oshi-goma), written by lacquer brush (kaki-goma), carved (hori-goma), and carved-and-filled (hori-ume-goma), where the carved character is filled flush with lacquer and polished. Higher grades cost more and are valued as craft objects, not only as game pieces.
Is a board included with this set?
It was not confirmed in the data available for this listing. Shogi koma sets are often sold piece-only, so check the listing carefully; if you need a board and a piece box, budget for them separately.
Can a beginner who can’t read kanji use these?
Yes, with a reference chart. Traditional koma show only Japanese characters, with no Western lettering, so a first-time player will want a printed or app-based guide to the eight piece types and their promoted faces.
How should boxwood pieces be cared for?
Keep them away from direct sun, radiators, and damp storage. Boxwood is natural wood and can move slightly with humidity. Wipe with a dry or barely damp cloth; do not soak, and do not store the set sealed while it is damp.
Why are Tendo pieces considered the standard?
Tendo produces roughly 95 percent of Japan’s shogi koma, a concentration built up over more than a century. The craft traces to the Tendo domain, where shogi-piece carving was promoted as honorable side work for samurai, and the town has produced pieces across every grade ever since.
What if I want a grade not sold on Amazon?
Many Tendo grades are sold by workshops and Japan-domestic stores that do not ship abroad directly. A proxy/forwarding service such as Buyee or Tenso can purchase and re-ship those listings for a service fee.
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🤖 This article was prepared with AI assistance and reviewed against the source listing data. Specifications, pricing, and availability should be confirmed on the retailer’s page before purchase.
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