Wataru Yashiro

is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 8-dan.

Early life and apprenticeship Yashiro was born on March 3, 1994, in Kamo District, Shizuoka. He learned how to play shogi from his father when he was a first-grade elementary school student, and was accepted into the Japan Shogi Association's apprentice school at the rank of 6-kyū in September 2005 under the guidance of shogi professional Teruichi Aono.

At first, Yashiro had some difficulty as an apprentice professional and even came close to being demoted in rank to 7-kyū; however, he started practicing regularly at the Kamata Shogi Cluba well-known shogi club where many strong amateurs, apprentence professionals, and even regular professionals would practiceand his results began to quickly improve.

Shogi professional Yashiro defeated Yasuaki Murayama to win the in February 2017 for his only shogi tournament championship to date. Yashiro was just twenty-two years old at the time which made him the then youngest player to ever have won the tournament. Yashiro's record, however, was broken the following year by Sōta Fujii who won the 11th Asahi Cup Open as a fifteen-year-old.

Promotion history The promotion history for Yashiro is as follows: 6-kyū: September 2005 3-dan: April 2010 4-dan: April 1, 2012 5-dan: May 12, 2015 6-dan: February 11, 2017 7-dan: April 23, 2019 8-dan: July 10, 2025

Titles and other championships Yashiro has yet to make an appearance in a major title match, but he has won one non-major shogi championships during his career.

Awards and honors Yashiro received the Japan Shogi Association Annual Shogi Award for "Best New Player" for the 20162017 Shogi Year.