Kazuo Azuma

On April 1, 2021, the {{abbrv|JSA|Japan Shogi Association}} posted on its official website that Azuma would be retiring upon completion of his last scheduled official game for the April 2021{{sndash}} March 2022 shogi season because he had reached the mandatory retirement age of 65 years for Free Class players.{{cite web|author=|url=https://www.shogi.or.jp/news/2021/04/post_2006.html|script-title=ja:昇段･引退･休場棋士のお知らせ|title=Shōdan･Intai･Kyūjō Kishi no Oshirase|language=ja|trans-title=Promotions, retirements and leaves of absence|date=April 1, 2021|publisher=Japan Shogi Association|access-date=December 19, 2023}} His retirement became official on May 17, 2021, after losing his 34th Ryūō tournament Group 6 preliminary round game against Yūsei Koga.{{cite news|author=|url=https://www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainment/news/2021/05/17/kiji/20210517s00041000521000c.html|script-title=ja:将棋の東和男八段 敗戦で引退決定, 40年余の現役生活に幕 かつて竜王戦1組に在籍, 専務理事も歴任|title=Shōgi no Azuma Kazuo Hachidan Haisen de Intai Kettei, Yonjūnenyo no Geneki Seikatsu ni Maku Katsute Ryūō-sen Ichikumi ni Saiseki, Senmu Riji mo Rekinin|language=ja|trans-title=Kazuo Azuma 8-dan retires from professional shogi after losing his final game; Azuma's career spanned more than 40 years and included highlights such as being a member of Group 1 of the Ryuo League and also serving as managing director of the Japan Shogi Association|date=May 17, 2021|newspaper=Sports Nippon|access-date=December 19, 2023}}{{cite web|author=|url=https://www.shogi.or.jp/news/2021/05/post_2022.html|script-title=ja:東和男八段, 金沢孝史五段が引退|title=Azuma Kazuo Hachidan, Kanezawa Takashi Godan ga Intai|language=ja|trans-title=Kazuo Azuma 8-dan and Takashi Kanezawa 5-dan retire|date=May 18, 2021|publisher=Japan Shogi Association|access-date=December 19, 2023}} He finished with a career record of 479 wins and 681 losses for a winning percentage of 0.413.{{cite web|url=https://www.shogi.or.jp/game/record/all.html|url-status=unfit|script-title=ja:通算成績|title=Tsūsan Seiseki|language=ja|trans-title=Career Records|date=June 23, 2021|publisher=Japan Shogi Association|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624200748/https://www.shogi.or.jp/game/record/all.html|archive-date=June 24, 2021|access-date=December 19, 2023}}

The promotion history for Azuma is as follows:{{cite web|url=https://www.shogi.or.jp/player/pro/128.html#jsTabE04_02|script-title=ja:棋士データベース: 東和男 昇段履歴|title=Kishi Dētabēsu: Azuma Kazuo Shōdan Rireki|language=Japanese|trans-title=Professional Shogi Player Database: Kazuo Azuma Promotion History|publisher=Japan Shogi Association|access-date=May 18, 2021}}

• 6-kyū: 1971
• 1-dan: 1974
• 4-dan: July 16, 1976
• 5-dan: April 1, 1980
• 6-dan: April 1, 1984
• 7-dan: December 18, 1992
• 8-dan: April 1, 2015
• Retired: May 17, 2021

Azuma received the JSA's "25 Years Service Award" in recognition of being an active professional for twenty-five years in 2001.{{cite web|url=https://www.shogi.or.jp/player/pro/128.html#anc04|script-title=ja:棋士データベース: 東和男 その他表彰|title=Kishi Dētabēsu: Azuma Kazuo Eisaku Sonota Hyōshō|language=ja|trans-title=Professional Shogi Player Database: Kazuo Azuma Other Awards|publisher=Japan Shogi Association|access-date=January 20, 2020}}

Azuma has served on the Japan Shogi Association's board of directors on a number of occasions. He first served as a director from 1995 to 2004,{{cite web|url=https://www.shogi.or.jp/player/pro/128.html#anc05|script-title=ja:棋士データベース: 東和男 役員履歴|title=Kishi Dētabēsu: Azuma Kazuo Yakuin Rireki|language=ja|trans-title=Professional Shogi Player Database: Kazuo Azuma JSA Officer History|publisher=Japan Shogi Association|access-date=January 20, 2020}} and then as a managing director from 2005 to 2006 and from 2011 to 2017.{{cite web|url=https://www.shogi.or.jp/news/2011/05/post_420.html|script-title=ja:日本将棋連盟新役員のお知らせ|title=Nihon Shōgi Renmei Shinyakuin no Oshirase|language=ja|trans-title=New JSA officers announced|date=May 26, 2011|publisher=Japan Shogi Association|access-date=January 20, 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.shogi.or.jp/news/2013/06/post_753.html|script-title=ja:日本将棋連盟新役員のお知らせ|title=Nihon Shōgi Renmei Shinyakuin no Oshirase|language=ja|trans-title=New JSA officers announced|date=June 7, 2013|publisher=Japan Shogi Association|access-date=January 20, 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.shogi.or.jp/news/2015/06/post_1216.html|script-title=ja:日本将棋連盟新役員のお知らせ|title=Nihon Shōgi Renmei Shinyakuin no Oshirase|language=ja|trans-title=New JSA officers announced|date=June 4, 2014|publisher=Japan Shogi Association|access-date=January 20, 2020}}　

In February 2017, Azuma was one of the two JSA board members to survive a no-confidence vote taken at an emergency meeting of the JSA membership as part of the fallout from 29th Ryūō challenger controversy.{{cite news|author=|url=http://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20170228/p2a/00m/0na/008000c|title=3 shogi board members sacked over mishandling of software 'cheating' scandal|date=February 28, 2017|newspaper=Mainichi Shimbun|access-date=January 20, 2020}}{{cite news|last=Murase|first=Shinya|url=http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASK2W560SK2WUCVL01R.html|script-title=ja:将棋連盟の理事3人を解任 ソフト不正騒動の対応問題視|title=Shōgi Renmei no Riji Sannin wo Kainin Sofuto Fusei Sōdō no Taiō Mondai Kaishiin|language=ja|trans-title=Three Japan Shogi Association directors dismissed for problems related to the handling of the issue of inappropriate software use|date=February 27, 2017|newspaper=Asahi Shimbun|access-date=January 20, 2020|archive-date=May 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190531204758/https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASK2W560SK2WUCVL01R.html|url-status=dead}} The following month he was elevated to senior managing director by the JSA board at a special meeting;{{cite web|url=https://www.shogi.or.jp/news/2017/03/post_1527.html|script-title=ja:東和男常務理事が専務理事へ|title=Azuma Kazuo Jōmuriji ga Senmuriji e|language=ja|trans-title=Kazuo Azuma managing director selected to be new senior managing director|date=March 17, 2017|publisher=Japan Shogi Association|access-date=January 20, 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.shogi.or.jp/news/2013/06/post_753.html|script-title=ja:日本将棋連盟新役員のお知らせ|title=Nihon Shōgi Renmei Shinyakuin no Oshirase|language=ja|trans-title=New JSA officers announced|date=June 7, 2013|publisher=Japan Shogi Association|access-date=January 20, 2020}} he served in that capacity until the end of May 2017, but decided not to submit his name as a candidate for reelection as a board member at the JSA's 68th General Meeting on May 29, 2017.{{cite news|author=|url=http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASK5Y4V8XK5YUCVL019.html|script-title=ja:将棋連盟, 佐藤会長を再任 森内九段が専務理事に|title=Shōgi Renmei, Satō Kaichō wo Sainin Moriuchi Kudan ga Senmuriji ni|language=ja|trans-title=Sato re-elected president of JSA, Moriuchi Kudan chosen to be senior director.|date=May 29, 2017|newspaper=Asahi Shimbun|access-date=January 20, 2020|archive-date=October 20, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171020142251/http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASK5Y4V8XK5YUCVL019.html|url-status=dead}}

{{Reflist}}

• ShogiHub: [http://shogihub.com/players/52 Azuma, Kazuo]

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Category:Japanese shogi players

Category:Japan Shogi Association players

Category:Living people

Category:Shogi players from Nagasaki Prefecture

Category:People from Sasebo

Category:1955 births

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