“The Japanese game of Sho-ho-ye corresponds to our game of chess. This game is played by two persons, with forty pieces (twenty on either side), and upon a chequer-board of eighty-one squares-nine on each side. The board is of one uniform color, though the square might be colored, as with us, for the sake of convenience. The pieces are also of one uniform color, as they are used (at pleasure) by either party, as his own, after being captured from the adversary. They are of various sizes, are long and wedge-shaped, being at the same time sharpened from side to side, in front, and the name of each piece is inscribed upon it—both the original and the one assumed upon being reversed—(as below). Each player distinguishes his men, or pieces by always having the pointed and thin end forward. But they would be more readily known if the back parts of all were painted with some decided and striking color, as that part of his own men is seen by each player only, and if the fronts of all the men were painted of some other color, as that part of the adversary’s piece is seen by either player only. They are laid flat upon the board (front forward), and thus their names are plainly visible. They capture, as in chess, by occupying the places of the captured pieces. The king, Oho-shio, being the chief piece, can not remain in check—and when check-mated the game is lost. “The pieces are named, and are placed upon the board as follows:— “Oho-shio (king)—centre square, first row. “Kin-shio (gold), or chief counseller—upon first row, and on either side of Oho-shio. “Gin-shio (silver, or sub-counseller)—upon first row, and one on each square next outside Kin-shio. “Kiema (flying-horse)—upon first row, and one on each square next outside Gin-shio. “Kioshia (fragrant chariot)—one upon each corner square, first row. “Hishia (flying chariot)—on second square, second row, right side of the board. “Kakuko (the horn)—on second square, second row, left side of the board. “Ho-hei (the soldiery)—on all the nine squares of the third row. “The moves and powers of the pieces are as below, only noting that in capturing there is no deviation from them, as with us in the case of pawns. “_Oho-shio_ moves and takes on one square in any direction. “_Kin-shio_ as the Oho-shio, except that he can not move diagonally backward. “Neither of the above are ever reversed or acquire different powers; but all the pieces below may be reversed (at the option of the player) when they move _to_ and _from_ any square in any of the adversary’s first three rows, and they do thereby acquire different powers, as well as different names. “_Gin-shio_ moves and takes as the _Oho-shio_, except that he can not move directly to either side, or directly backward. When he is reversed, or turned over, he becomes a _Gin-Nari-Kin_, and acquires all the powers (and those alone) of the _Kin-shio_.