For captions describing each step of the process in this video, click the CC button at the bottom right of the video player.
This satisfying process video offers viewers a peek behind the scenes at Kumasu in Miyazaki, Japan, where craftsmen fashion boards that can be used for the centuries-old games Go and Shogi. Starting with a thick log of kaya wood, the workers cut, carve and polish with precision, combining traditional methods with modern time-saving machinery. In an age where a game of Go can be started online within seconds, the methodical making of the board feels as if it mirrors the careful, deliberate nature of the game itself.








