Titleholder history

This page lists all players who have held one of eight professional titles, from the formation of the Meijin title in 1937 (Showa 12) until now.

Players get a unique color if they have won 3 or more titles T - Qualified for lifetime title F - Player's first title L - Player's last title (for retired players only) ↑ - Tournament not held (refer to notes) (Name) - Winner of non-title championship Notes Y - Youngest record O - Oldest record F - First in history

2015（Eio-sen formed） - now

Season	Eio-sen Apr - Jun	Meijin-sen Apr - Jun	Kisei-sen Jun - Jul	Oi-sen Jul - Sep	Oza-sen Sep - Oct	Ryuo-sen Oct - Dec	Osho-sen Jan - Mar	Kio-sen Feb - Mar	Notes
	Eio	Meijin	Kisei	Oi	Oza	Ryuo	Osho	Kio
2023 (Reiwa 5)	Term 8 Sota Fujii	Term 81 Sota Fujii	Term 94 Sota Fujii	Term 64 Sota Fujii	Term 71 Sota Fujii	Term 36 Sota Fujii	Term 73 Sota Fujii	Term 49 Fujii S. or Ito T.	Fujii becomes 7-crownY/Ryuo - MeijinY(5th)/8-crownF Watanabe loses all titles after 19 years
2023 (Reiwa 4)	Sota Fujii	Watanabe Akira	Sota Fujii	Sota Fujii	Takuya Nagase	Sota Fujii	Sota Fujii	Sota Fujii	Tanigawa is crowned 17th Lifetime Meijin
2021 (Reiwa 3)	Sota Fujii	Watanabe Akira	Sota Fujii	Sota Fujii	Takuya Nagase	Sota Fujii	Sota Fujii	Watanabe Akira	Fujii defends his first titleY/becomes 3-crownY/4-crownY/5-crownY
2020 (Reiwa 2)	Masayuki Toyoshima	Watanabe Akira	Sota FujiiF	Sota Fujii	Takuya Nagase	Masayuki Toyoshima	Watanabe Akira	Watanabe Akira	Delayed start of Meijin-sen and Eio-sen (from June) Fujii wins his first titleY(17 years 11 months)/becomes 2-crownY
2019 (Reiwa 1)	Takuya NagaseF	Masayuki Toyoshima	Watanabe Akira	Kazuki KimuraF	Takuya Nagase	Masayuki Toyoshima	Watanabe Akira	Watanabe Akira	Kimura wins his first titleO(46 years old) Toyoshima becomes Ryuo - Meijin (4th)
2018 (Heisei 30)	Term 3 Taichi TakamiF	Amahiko Sato	Masayuki ToyoshimaF	Masayuki Toyoshima	Shintaro SaitoF	Akihito Hirose	Watanabe Akira	Watanabe Akira	Eio-sen is promoted to title status 8 different players hold 8 titles (at end of Kisei-sen) Habu loses all titles after 27 years and 9 months
2017 (Heisei 29)	－	Amahiko Sato	Yoshiharu Habu	Tatsuya SugaiF	Taichi NakamuraF	Yoshiharu HabuL	Toshiaki Kubo	Watanabe Akira	Habu wins his 99th title and qualifies for Lifetime 7-crownF
2016 (Heisei 28)	(Term 2) (Amahiko Sato)	Amahiko SatoF	Yoshiharu Habu	Yoshiharu Habu	Yoshiharu Habu	Watanabe Akira	Toshiaki Kubo	Watanabe AkiraL	Ryuo challenger changed
2015 (Heisei 27)	(Term 1) (Takayuki Yamasaki)	Term 73 Yoshiharu Habu	Term 86 Yoshiharu Habu	Term 56 Yoshiharu Habu	Term 63 Yoshiharu Habu	Term 28 Watanabe Akira	Term 65 Masataka Goda	Term 41 Watanabe Akira	Eio-sen is formed as a non-title championship
Season	Eio	Meijin	Kisei	Oi	Oza	Ryuo	Osho	Kio	Notes
	Eio-sen Apr - Jun	Meijin-sen Apr - Jun	Kisei-sen Jun - Jul	Oi-sen Jul - Sep	Oza-sen Sep - Oct	Ryuo-sen Oct - Dec	Osho-sen Jan - Mar	Kio-sen Feb - Mar