Kotaro Fukuoka

Kotaro Fukuoka (福岡 航太朗, Fukuoka Kōtarō; born December 22, 2005) is a Japanese Go professional affiliated with the Nihon Ki-in. He holds the rank of 8-dan. Born in Tokyo, he is a student of Hon Seisen 4-dan.

Early life

At age four, he became interested in Go after seeing a goban at his grandfather's house, and after entering elementary school he began attending a Go salon alongside his other lessons. When he was in second grade, he enrolled at the Hon Dojo. returning to Japan intermittently.

Professional career

In 2022, he reached the main event of the 47th Gosei – his first appearance in the main event of any of Japan's seven major Go titles. He defeated Cho U 9-dan in the first round and Shinji Takao 9-dan in the second round, before losing to Norimoto Yoda 9-dan in the quarterfinals.

In the 33rd Ryusei tournament in 2024, he went undefeated in Block F. In the final, he defeated Iyama Ryusei, who was aiming for a third consecutive title. The win earned him promotion to 7-dan.

In 2026, he won the Teikei Cup Shun'ei Tournament, going 2-0 in the finals against Yu Otake. Around the same time, he played Otake in the challenger decision match of the 81st Honinbo tournament, which he won by 2.5 points, securing a title challenge against Honinbo Ryo Ichiriki. The title match was played between May and July, and Fukuoka won 3-2, becoming the youngest ever winner of the tournament.