Umezawa Yukari

Umezawa Yukari (梅沢由香里, born October 4, 1973 in Tokyo) is a professional of the Nihon Ki-in. 6 dan in 2013. Pupil of Kato Masao.

Though her name may be better known as "Yukari Umezawa" (the Western order, given name before the family name), Sensei's Library uses the Japanese order, family name first. Following her marriage to YOSHIHARA Shin'ya (吉原慎也), a professional soccer player in 2002, she is legally known as Yoshihara Yukari (吉原 由香里). And in 2011, she changed her professional name to match the legal name.

She is credited with technical advice for Hikaru no Go^[1]. She stars as the teacher in Go Go Igo.

Umezawa won the 10th Female Kisei in 2007, beating the title holder Mannami Kana 2-1 in the 3-game match. This was her first challenge and win for a top title, she defended it in 2008 and 2009, she finally lost it to Xie Yimin in 2010. She later challenged Xie twice, in 2011 and 2016, both unsuccessfully.

Links

• Her official website: Yukari House
• Nihon Ki-in player profile
• Jan van der Steen's brief GoBase biography links to 15 games by Umezawa.

Pictures

yukari umezawa jul2023 (Image credit: Foxwq.com)

[1] Regarding Hikaru no Go, Pieter Mioch wrote in rec.games.go (2001-Dec-02):

The number of children coming every Sunday to the Nagoya branch of the Nihon Ki-In to join the Children's Go Class has doubled in one month time. This is without a doubt the "Hikaru No Go Effect" the cartoon is still going strong and finally seems to move youngsters to pick up the game.

Umezawa 4p admits she does not actually supervise the technical aspects of "Hikaru No Go" although her name is on the front cover with the claim she does. A source working at a TV station mentioned that during a later cut part of an interview Umezawa Yukari said she never read through the books before they'd hit the press. For technical support the writer of HikaGo, Mrs. Hotta Yumi, often contacts pros from the Central Japan Branch of the Nihon Ki-In. During the first books especially her former go-teacher, Mizuno Yoshika 2p from Gifu pref often helped Mrs. Hotta out.