Kaoru Iwamoto - After The War

After The War

Iwamoto's home was a temporary site for the Nihon Ki-in which was burnt out by the B29 bombing in 1945 and he was instrumental in finding new headquarters for the Nihon Ki-in.

Iwamoto defended the Honinbo title against Kitani Minoru in 1947, and in 1948 achieved 8-dan, becoming president of the Nihon Ki-in. He later lost the Honinbo title to Hashimoto Utaro in 1950. He won the NHK Cup in 1955.

Iwamoto traveled extensively throughout the West with the aim of spreading Go to Western people. He spent 18 months in 1961-1962 in New York, teaching and promoting Go. He achieved 9-dan in 1967, and had many disciples, including James Kerwin, the first Westerner to achieve professional status at the Nihon Ki-in.