This event is a part of Honouliuli National Historic Site's 10th Anniversary Celebration.

This presentation will begin with a short description of the game of Go and its strategy. It will then cover the history of Go in Japan from its arrival in the 6th century to the present. Upon its introduction into Japan, the game was first played by court nobility then eventually spread to the samurai class and then to the general population. The game enjoyed institutional support by the Tokugawa Shoguns from the 17th to 19th centuries and the Shoguns gave the strongest Go player a governmental position with a stipend. Professional Go players emerged in the 20th century with major corporations sponsoring Go tournaments much like corporations sponsor tennis and golf tournaments in the West.

Kobashigawa will then cover the history of Go in Hawaii from the time of the arrival of Japanese immigrants to the outbreak of the war with Japan, ending with the discussion of the significance of Go at the Honouliuli Internment Camp as well as all the mainland interment camps. Two Honouliuli internees will be highlighted. Both were Japanese Americans born in Hawaii, interned at Honouliuli, then sent to mainland interment camps and, of course, played Go during their internment days.

Go is also a popular game in Korea, although it is unknown if the 2,700 Korean POWs played it while incarcerated.

Sid Kobashigawa spent 16 years of teaching the class "Buddhist Philosophy and the Game of Go" at Punahou School to over 180 local students each year.