I have mentioned several times with great delight the fact that the women's scene is Japan is bucking trends and thriving. We now have more to crow about.
Hane Ayaka has extended the Hane dynasty to a third generation. She is the third daughter of Hane Naoki and wife Shigeko (also a pro) and granddaughter of Hane Yasumasa. She has just been made 1-dan by special recommendation, alongside Takao Mari. The other Hane daughters play go, too, incidentally and all three of them won a national primary school team competition once.
Possibly more significant is Ueno Risa, who has just qualified as 1-dan the "proper" way by winning her women's test league 7-1. Risa is just 12, a little bit older than Fujisawa Rina when she became pro, but in the same sort of age band. Risa is the sister of Ueno Asamai, who is Rina's great rival now. It is easy to imagine Rina could have nightmares about Ueno clones soon! She also might not appreciate the fact that it is her father Fujisawa Kazunari who trained both Uenos
The Uenos need to add a third player to match the Honda and Mukai sisters, of course, so we are not talking of records yet. But one likely record that must be in the offing is a game between youngest and oldest: Ueno Risa vs Sugiuchi Kazuko - 80 years difference. If you invented this sort of publicity in a novel, I don't think people would believe it.
On top of that, it seems simpler now just to play Happy Families instead of go
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John Fairbairn
