Akira Watanabe (shogi)

1.1. Childhood and Education

In 1994, as a fourth-grade student at Hokizuka Elementary School, Watanabe won the 19th Elementary School Student Meijin Tournament. He was the first fourth-grade winner in the history of the tournament. During his junior high school years, he made a conscious decision to attend a combined junior and senior high school to avoid the demanding schedule conflict between the 3-dan league and high school entrance exams. He chose Seigakuin Junior & Senior High School because his senior, Atsushi Miyata, a fellow pupil of his shogi master, attended there, indicating its understanding of shogi. Among his classmates throughout his six years of middle and high school was Satoshi Miyazawa, a member of the comedy duo Zigzag Ziggies.

1.2. Apprentice School Entry and Early Promotions

In the same year he won the Elementary School Student Meijin Tournament, at the age of ten, Watanabe took the entrance examination for the Japan Shogi Association's apprentice school. Part of his test involved a game against Sayuri Takebe, who was a 6-kyū member of the apprentice school at the time. This particular game was played at an incredibly fast pace, with Watanabe winning in less than two minutes, even while other players were still setting up their pieces. Watanabe successfully passed the entrance exam and entered the apprentice school as a 6-kyū under the tutelage of professional shogi player Kazuharu Shoshi. He quickly advanced, reaching 2-kyū in just six months and progressing through 1-dan and 2-dan, each in about a year, to enter the 3-dan league.

2.1. Professional Debut and Initial Activities

Watanabe officially became a professional 4-dan on April 1, 2000, at the age of 15, after winning the 26th 3-dan league (October 1999 to March 2000) with a record of 13 wins and 5 losses. This made him the fourth middle school student in history to achieve professional status, following Hifumi Katō, Kōji Tanigawa, and Yoshiharu Habu. Early in his career, in 2002, he achieved promotion to C1 class in the 61st Jun'isen.

In October 2003, Watanabe made his first appearance in a major title match, challenging Yoshiharu Habu for the 51st Ōza title. Although Watanabe led the match 2-1, Habu ultimately won the final two games to defend his title. Despite the loss, Watanabe was dubbed "The man who made Habu shake" (羽生を震えさせた男_{Habu wo furuesaseta otoko}^Japanese) due to Habu's visibly shaking hand when making the winning move in the decisive fifth game. This performance earned Watanabe the "Best New Player" award at the 30th Annual Shogi Awards.

2.2. Ryūō Title Reign and Lifetime Title Acquisition

In 2004, Watanabe achieved his first major title, the Ryūō, by defeating the defending champion Toshiyuki Moriuchi 4-3 in the 17th Ryūō Title Match. Moriuchi was also the reigning Meijin and Ōshō title holder at the time. At 20 years and 8 months old, Watanabe became the third youngest major title holder ever, following Nobuyuki Yashiki (18 years, Kisei) and Habu (19 years, Ryūō). His ascent was particularly remarkable as he was only the second player, after Takeshi Fujii, to challenge and win the Ryūō title from the 4th group of the ranking tournament.

On November 30, 2005, Watanabe successfully defended his Ryūō title for the first time by defeating challenger Kazuki Kimura 4-0 in the 18th Ryūō match. This victory also made him the youngest player ever to be promoted to 9-dan, at 21 years and 7 months old, surpassing Kōji Tanigawa's previous record. This promotion history was facilitated by a rule change just prior to his promotion, allowing faster advancement for Ryūō title holders.

In March 2007, Watanabe made history by defeating the computer shogi program Bonanza in the first Japan Shogi Association-sanctioned game between a top shogi professional and a computer program. Bonanza was the reigning World Computer Shogi Champion, while Watanabe held the Ryūō title. Initially hesitant to participate, Watanabe accepted after persuasion from then-JSA president Kunio Yonenaga.

Watanabe became the first player to qualify for the Lifetime Ryūō title in December 2008, after winning the title for the fifth consecutive time. He defeated Yoshiharu Habu, who was then the reigning Meijin, Ōza, Ōshō, and Kisei title holder, 4-3 in the 21st Ryūō Title Match. This match was billed as the "Winner Becomes the First Lifetime Ryūō Match." Despite losing the first three games, Watanabe mounted an unprecedented comeback, winning the final four games to defend his title. This marked the first time in shogi history that a player won a 7-game major title match after trailing 0-3. The dramatic final game of this series was awarded the "Game of the Year" prize.

He continued his dominance in the Ryūō match, defending it against Toshiyuki Moriuchi in 2009 (achieving his sixth consecutive Ryūō title) and against Yoshiharu Habu in 2010 (securing his seventh consecutive title), surpassing Habu's record of six Ryūō titles and establishing a new record for consecutive Ryūō defenses.

2.3. Triple Crown Achievement and Major Title Wins

In 2011, Watanabe challenged Toshiaki Kubo for the 36th Kiō title but lost the match 3-1. However, in September 2011, he captured his second major title, the Ōza, by defeating Yoshiharu Habu, who had held the title for a remarkable 19 consecutive years, 3-0 in the 59th Ōza Title Match. This made Watanabe a "2-crown" and elevated him to the top of the shogi professional hierarchy.

In March 2013, Watanabe achieved his first "Triple Crown" status, becoming only the eighth player in shogi history to simultaneously hold three major titles. This was accomplished by defeating Yasumitsu Satō 4-1 in the 62nd Ōshō Title Match, securing his first Ōshō title, and subsequently winning his first Kiō title by defeating Masataka Gōda 3-1 in the 38th Kiō Title Match. He successfully defended his Kiō title against Hiroyuki Miura in 2014, against Yoshiharu Habu in 2015, against Amahiko Satō in 2016, and against Shōta Chida in 2017. His victory over Chida marked his fifth consecutive Kiō title, making him the second player ever, after Habu, to qualify for the Lifetime Kiō title.

Watanabe also defended his Ōshō title in 2014 by defeating Yoshiharu Habu 4-3 in the 63rd Ōshō Title Match. However, he lost the 64th Ōshō title in 2015 to Masataka Gōda 4-3.

After losing the Ryūō title in 2013, Watanabe recaptured it in December 2015 by defeating Tetsurō Itodani 4-1 in the 28th Ryūō Title Match, returning to a "2-crown" status with the Ryūō and Kiō titles. He successfully defended his Ryūō title against Toshiyuki Moriuchi in 2016.

2.4. Meijin Title Acquisition and Defense

In February 2019, Watanabe recaptured the Ōshō title for the third time and first time in five years, defeating defending champion Toshiaki Kubo 4-0. In July 2019, he secured his first Kisei title by defeating Masayuki Toyoshima 3-1 in the 90th Kisei Title Match, returning to "3-crown" status.

In August 2020, Watanabe successfully challenged for the 78th Meijin title, defeating defending Meijin title holder Masayuki Toyoshima 4-2 to win the Meijin title for the first time. This achievement restored his "3-crown" status and was a personal best in terms of simultaneous titles.

He defended his Ōshō title in March 2021 by defeating challenger Takuya Nagase 4-2, securing his third consecutive Ōshō title and fifth overall. A few days later, in March 2021, Watanabe successfully defended his Kiō title for the ninth consecutive time by defeating challenger Tetsurō Itodani 3-1. This victory marked his 28th major title overall, moving him into sole 4th place on the list of all-time major title winners. In April-June 2021, Watanabe successfully defended his Meijin title by defeating challenger Shintarō Saitō 4-1 in the 79th Meijin Title Match, marking his first Meijin defense. He defended his Meijin title again in 2022, defeating Shintarō Saitō 4-1 for the second consecutive year in the 80th Meijin Title Match, achieving his third consecutive Meijin title.

2.5. Uncrowned Period and Comeback Efforts

In July 2020, Watanabe lost his Kisei title to the rising prodigy Sōta Fujii 3-1 in the 91st Kisei Title Match. This loss enabled Fujii to become the youngest player to win a major title at 17 years and 11 months. In January-February 2022, Watanabe faced Sōta Fujii again in the 71st Ōshō Title Match, where he lost 4-0, relinquishing his Ōshō title. This was the first time Watanabe had lost a major title match without winning a single game.

His remarkable 10-year reign as Kiō champion came to an end in March 2023 when he lost the 48th Kiō Title Match to Sōta Fujii 3-1. In April-June 2023, he also lost his Meijin title to Sōta Fujii 4-1 in the 81st Meijin Title Match. This marked the first time Watanabe was uncrowned after holding at least one major title for 18 years and 5 months (6729 days), since his first Ryūō title acquisition in 2004. In the A-class of the Jun'isen, Watanabe, who was once among the younger players, found himself the oldest after the relegation of several older high-ranking professionals and the short A-class tenures of others from his generation.

In July 2024, Watanabe challenged Sōta Fujii for the 65th Ōi title, but lost the match 4-1. Later that year, in December 2024, Watanabe revealed that he sustained a left knee injury during exercise, identified as an anterior cruciate ligament tear, compounded by long-standing meniscal damage from years of kneeling during games. Although he initially postponed surgery to participate in the Ōi match, the pain forced him to resign mid-game in a December 13, 2024 match. He then announced a one-month hiatus for surgery and recovery, impacting his participation in the January 2025 Jun'isen and the Asahi Cup Open (where he forfeited a match due to travel difficulties).

2.6. Promotion History

Watanabe's promotion history is as follows:

• 6-kyū: September 1994 (Apprentice School entry)
• 1-dan: October 1997
• 2-dan: April 1998
• 3-dan: December 1998 - January 1999 (entered 25th 3-dan League)
• 4-dan: April 1, 2000 (Professional debut)
• 5-dan: April 1, 2003 (Promotion to C1 class in Jun'isen)
• 6-dan: October 1, 2004 (Qualified for Ryūō challenge)
• 7-dan: October 1, 2005 (Qualified for Ryūō title, 1st term)
• 8-dan: November 17, 2005 (Promotion due to system revision for Ryūō holders)
• 9-dan: November 30, 2005 (Qualified for Ryūō title, 2nd term, youngest 9-dan at the time)

His rapid ascent in 2005, achieving three promotions (to 7-dan, 8-dan, and 9-dan) within a span of just two months, was particularly notable, facilitated by a rule revision allowing faster advancement for Ryūō title holders.

3.1. Key Tactics and Characteristics

Watanabe is primarily an Ibisha_{Static Rook}^Japanese player and is well-known for his mastery of the Ibisha Anaguma_{Static Rook Anaguma}^Japanese formation, emphasizing a solid king safety. He frequently employs Anaguma in various openings, including Yagura, against Flying Rook, and in Kakugawari (Bishop Exchange). His win rate with Sente (first player) Yagura Anaguma is particularly high.

His aggressive approach is often described as "Z (Absolute King Safety)", where he commits to attacks after securing his own king, allowing for forceful and often decisive pushes due to his king's invulnerability. This modern and practical style prioritizes rational game construction and high winning probability, but also demonstrates a keen intuition for critical moments in a match.

In a semifinal game of the 55th NHK Cup in 2006 against Hiroyuki Miura, Watanabe demonstrated his style by recovering from a material disadvantage (gold loss) to create mating threats with only pawns, ultimately delivering a decisive blow with a well-placed Bishop to secure a spectacular reversal. This game is considered a prime example of his fighting spirit and resourceful endgame play. Even when facing a 0-3 deficit against Yoshiharu Habu in the 21st Ryūō Title Match, he adapted his strategy, abandoning his favored Anaguma for aggressive quick attacks, including rook sacrifices, to achieve an unprecedented 4-game comeback.

3.2. End-Game Play and Evolution

Watanabe is renowned for his exceptional tenacity and ability to engineer reversals in the endgame, often compared to Ōyama Yasuharu. While he initially studied Kōji Tanigawa's games, focusing on precise and shortest mating sequences, his actual endgame style more closely resembles Ōyama's persistence and ability to find wins from seemingly losing positions. In a 2014 interview, he stated that he also studies the games of Makoto Nakahara and Yoshiharu Habu to address weaknesses in his own style.

His playing style has evolved significantly. While he frequently used `Yokofudori 85hi` (Sideways Pawn Capture 8-5 Rook) as Gote (second player) until his Ryūō title win in 2004, he drastically reduced its use after 2005, explaining that "playing only Yokofudori does not lead to progress" and acknowledging the increased research making it harder for Gote. This shift led him to become a "pure Static Rook player," a minority in contemporary shogi, which he admitted caused struggles in Gote games.

To counter these Gote struggles, he introduced `Gote Kyusen Yagura` (Second Player Quick Attack Yagura) in the 21st Ryūō match in 2008, even developing new moves within this opening. This innovation earned him praise from Kōji Tanigawa, who noted a significant positive shift in Watanabe's evaluation. Yoshiharu Habu also remarked that Watanabe's shogi, typical of young modern players, excelled at processing large amounts of data (game records, joseki, research, tesuji) and converting it into quality play.

In 2014, after losing the Ryūō title, he surprised the shogi world by adopting `Gote Gokigen Nakabisha` (Second Player Happy Middle Rook) in an Ōi League match against Yasumitsu Satō, and subsequently in other major title games, including his Ōshō defense against Yoshiharu Habu. This demonstrated his willingness to deviate from his traditional style and embrace new strategies.

3.3. Strengths and Adaptations

Watanabe's strategic flexibility is a significant strength. He tailors his approach based on the game's keisei_{positional advantage}^Japanese. When in a favorable position, he prefers to think deeply and play safely. Conversely, when facing a disadvantage, he employs tactics to complicate the position and induce mistakes from his opponent, such as accelerating the game pace to reduce opponent's thinking time or introducing confusing moves to increase their choices and consume their time. This adaptable mindset was notably demonstrated in the 91st Kisei Title Match in July 2020, where he applied these strategies to overcome a 0-2 deficit against Sōta Fujii in the third game.

Despite his strategic prowess, Watanabe openly admits to having been poor at tsumeshogi (shogi puzzles) in his youth, which led to a dislike for them during his apprentice days. However, after becoming Ryūō, he found himself able to solve them, and his skill improved over time.

4.1. Title Acquisitions and Lifetime Titles

Watanabe has appeared in major title matches a total of 45 times, winning 31 major titles, placing him 4th on the all-time list of title winners. He is one of only four players in shogi history to have earned multiple Lifetime titles.

His 11 Ryūō titles and 9 consecutive Ryūō defenses (from 2004 to 2012) are both all-time records. His 10 Kiō titles, including 10 consecutive defenses (from 2012 to 2021), are second only to Yoshiharu Habu's 12 Kiō titles. These achievements have qualified him for both the Lifetime Ryūō and Lifetime Kiō titles, which he holds as a "Lifetime 2-crown." He is the first player to achieve a Lifetime title based solely on a single title, and also the first to achieve Lifetime 2-crown status without having first appeared in a Meijin Title Match.

4.2. Other Tournament Championships

In addition to his major title wins, Watanabe has won 12 other shogi championships:

The Daiwa Securities Strongest Player Cup is no longer held.

4.3. Shogi Awards and Noteworthy Records

Watanabe has received numerous Annual Shogi Awards from the Japan Shogi Association, including:

• "Best New Player" (2002)
• "Fighting-spirit" (2003, 2006)
• "Distinguished Service" (2004)
• "Excellent Player" (2005, 2008, 2010-2011, 2015, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023) - 9 times, a record for this award.
• "Most Games Won" (2005)
• "Game of the Year" (2008, 2011-2012, 2015, 2018, 2020)
• "Most Games Played" (2010)
• "Player of the Year" (2012, 2019)
• "Most Consecutive Games Won" (2019)

He has achieved several unique records, including:

• Being the first to win a 7-game title match after losing the first three games (21st Ryūō match, 2008).
• Achieving an all-class record of 21 consecutive wins in the Jun'isen, including full-season victories in B1 (12-0 in 2018) and A-class (9-0 in 2019), marking the first time a player achieved back-to-back perfect records across two different classes.
• Becoming the only player to obtain Lifetime titles in two different eras (Heisei and Reiwa).
• Reaching 600 career wins in January 2019, earning him the Shogi Distinguished Service Award.

4.4. Year-End Prize Money and Game Fee Rankings

Watanabe has consistently ranked among the top earners in the shogi world, finishing in the "Top 10" of the Japan Shogi Association's year-end prize money and game fee rankings every year since 2004, and in the "Top 3" eighteen times. He was the top money winner in 2013, 2017, and 2021.

4.5. External Awards and Honors

In November 2024, Watanabe was awarded the Purple Ribbon Medal, a prestigious national decoration in Japan. He was the 16th shogi player to receive this honor and, at 40 years old, the youngest among them.

5.1. Nicknames and Public Image

Watanabe has several popular nicknames. He is often called "Mataro" (魔太郎^Japanese), a reference to the character from Fujiko Fujio A's manga 魔太郎がくる!!_{Mataro ga Kuru!!}^Japanese, a resemblance he himself acknowledges. This nickname, along with "Demon King" (魔王_Maō^Japanese), highlights his formidable presence at the shogi board. He was once paired with Takayuki Yamazaki as "Prince of the West, Demon King of the East." Due to his strong performance in winter title matches such as the Ryūō, Kiō, and Ōshō, he is also known as "Winter Shogun" (冬将軍_{Fuyu Shōgun}^Japanese). Furthermore, his resemblance to Ōyama Yasuharu when wearing round glasses, especially after shaving his head, has led to him being called "the second coming of Ōyama."

Watanabe is known for his service-oriented approach to shogi fans and organizers, often participating in post-match entertainment with a smile. His shogi commentaries are highly regarded for their clarity, directness, and occasional humor, making them accessible and engaging for fans.

5.2. Family and Relationships

In May 2004, Watanabe married Megumi Ina, a tsumeshogi puzzle writer and the younger sister of shogi professional Yūsuke Ina. Their eldest son was born in July of the same year. The couple initially connected through their shared interest in tsumeshogi when Megumi was an apprentice female shogi professional. In November 2024, Watanabe and Megumi divorced but decided to continue cohabiting for the time being. Megumi Ina is also a manga artist, having serialized 将棋の渡辺くん_{Shogi no Watanabe-kun}^Japanese, a biographical manga about Watanabe's daily life, since 2013. Watanabe's former brother-in-law, Yūsuke Ina, is married to Go player Akiko Tsugai, who has provided Go lessons to Watanabe as he picked up the hobby.

Watanabe maintains close friendships with fellow shogi professionals such as Hiroaki Murayama, Makoto Tobe, and Amahiko Satō. In their younger days, Watanabe, Murayama, and Tobe were known as the "harsh criticism trio" (酷評三羽烏_{Kokuhyō Sanbagarasu}^Japanese) or "spicy trio" (激辛三羽ガラス_{Gekikara Sanbagarasu}^Japanese) for their critical commentary on other players' games, with Satō later joining to form a "quartet." Watanabe has also faced and defeated esteemed older shogi players, including Hifumi Katō, Kunio Yonenaga, and Makoto Nakahara. Notably, in the decisive fifth game of his 2003 Ōza match against Yoshiharu Habu, Habu's hand visibly trembled during the final stages, a well-known anecdote in shogi history.

5.3. Public Communication and Blog Activities

Watanabe has maintained a popular personal blog, which became an official goo blog in June 2007. The blog was well-known for its high traffic and Watanabe's candid posts. While comments were initially restricted to goo ID holders and later entirely disabled in September 2008, it remained a significant platform for his interaction with fans. However, all articles on the blog were deleted around September 2024.

5.4. Controversy in the Shogi Community

In October 2016, a major controversy erupted in the shogi world concerning alleged software cheating. At the time, Watanabe, as the reigning Ryūō, publicly claimed that challenger Hiroyuki Miura was using shogi software to cheat during games, even leaking this information to a weekly magazine. This accusation led the Japan Shogi Association (JSA) to suspend Miura from official games for the remainder of the year and replace him as challenger in the 29th Ryūō match with Toshiyuki Moriuchi (who was then replaced by Tadahisa Maruyama due to schedule conflicts).

A third-party investigation committee commissioned by the JSA concluded that there was no evidence to support the cheating allegations against Miura. The committee found no indication of foul play and noted that key evidence, such as the alleged 30-minute absence during a game, did not exist according to video analysis. Following this report, the JSA acknowledged Miura's innocence and issued an apology. As a result of the scandal, several JSA executives resigned, including then-president Kōji Tanigawa and managing director Akira Shimada, while other managing directors were dismissed. On the day of the press conference announcing the reconciliation between Miura and the JSA, Watanabe met with Miura privately to apologize for his role in the controversy.

In 2021, Watanabe invested in a high-performance desktop computer, costing around 1.30 M JPY, equipped with top-tier CPU (AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X) and GPU (Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090) to run both NNUE-based shogi software like "Suisho" and deep learning shogi software like "dlshogi" for research purposes. He noted that the powerful computer generates significant heat, making his room quite warm.

6.1. Sports Activities

Watanabe is an enthusiastic sports fan, particularly of soccer. In 2013, he obtained a Class 4 soccer referee license because his son started playing soccer, and he wanted to assist with officiating elementary school games. He occasionally serves as a head referee in these matches. He is a fan of Manchester United and admires coach Diego Simeone, even reading Simeone's book, Simeone: The Super Effect. However, he reportedly let his referee license expire in 2017 due to forgetting to renew it.

In 2015, Watanabe also initiated the Japan Shogi Association's futsal club, "FC Sendagaya," where he serves as captain. He is also interested in curling, having started playing around 2018 and even traveling to Karuizawa for practice. He dedicates a category to curling on his blog, often posting about his training sessions.

6.2. Other Hobbies and Preferences

Watanabe is an ardent horse racing fan, famously stating his dream is to become a horse owner. He has appeared as a guest commentator on horse racing television broadcasts during GI races. During the 2008 Ryūō match in Paris, he even visited the Saint-Cloud Racecourse to place bets. Through Go player Shinji Takao, also a horse racing enthusiast, Watanabe became a partial owner of a racehorse. He has expressed a desire to become a "full-time horse racing grandpa" after retirement, looking forward to watching all of the week's races from Monday morning. Despite his enthusiasm, his wife playfully teases him, suggesting he already "retired" and has "five days off a week." While he enjoys watching races, he mentioned in 2016 that he primarily watches races on television at home without betting, though he does still place bets on occasion.

He is a fan of the Momotaro Dentetsu video game series, often playing with fellow shogi players and family members, and has even organized a two-night, three-day camp dedicated to the game. He has participated in Momotaro Dentetsu tournaments on Niconico Live. Additionally, he often records the results of New Year's card game tournaments (Daifugō) against his wife and brother-in-law on his blog. He became a fan of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in defiance of his father, a Yomiuri Giants fan. He regularly attends baseball games with his son and subscribes to Weekly Baseball. Given the proximity of the Shogi Kaikan to Meiji Jingu Stadium, he often stops by the stadium after work.

Watanabe is known for his picky eating habits, especially towards new foods. While he initially disliked vegetables, his wife's efforts have made him more open to trying different foods, though he still cannot eat cucumbers and broccoli. He dislikes spicy foods like curry and wasabi, as well as sandwiches (due to mustard) and umeboshi rice balls. His preferred foods include Choco Pie_{choco pie}^Japanese, mango pudding, ramen, and gratin croquette burgers. He enjoys alcohol but reportedly becomes overly expressive about Habu's greatness when drunk and jokes about wanting to attend a group blind date.

He has a strong affection for stuffed animals, owning over 40 in his room and more than 100 in total, including those at his parents' house. He assigns shogi-related nicknames and personalities to them, enjoying playing with them with his son. He also likes cute characters like Rilakkuma and pandas, even incorporating a panda illustration into his address stamp. Furthermore, he owns Sumikko Gurashi merchandise.

Watanabe is an avid manga fan, claiming to have learned "half of his life from manga." His room boasts a bookshelf filled with over a thousand manga volumes, while his collection of shogi-related books is minimal, mainly consisting of historical shogi books related to his manga supervision. He rarely listens to music, reads novels, or watches movies, stating he has seen "only about ten movies in his life."

He has an dog allergy despite a past erroneous entry in a shogi annual that he liked dogs; he intended to write "dog stuffed animals." He wears glasses and uses ones from Four Nines, though he was unaware of the brand when he purchased them.

7.1. Books

Watanabe has authored or co-authored numerous books on shogi strategy and tsumeshogi puzzles, as well as general reflections on the game:

• Yonkenbisha Yaburi Kyusenhen (Breaking Fourth File Rook: Rapid Attack Edition) (2005)
• Yonkenbisha Yaburi Ibisha Anagumahen (Breaking Fourth File Rook: Static Rook Anaguma Edition) (2005)
• Jissen ni Yakudatsu Tsumeshogi Sante Gote Tsume no Tesuji Kōza Tsuki (Practical Tsumeshogi 3-move, 5-move with Tesuji Lecture) (supervised, 2005)
• Yoku Wakaru Shogi Nyūmon (Easy-to-Understand Shogi Introduction) (supervised, 2006)
• Bonanza VS Shōbu Nō Saikyō Shōgi Sofuto wa Ningen o Koeru ka (Bonanza VS Game Brain: Can the Strongest Shogi Software Surpass Humans?) (co-authored, 2007)
• Zunō Shōbu Shōgi no Sekai (Intellectual Game: The World of Shogi) (2007)
• Watanabe Akira no Ibisha Tai Furibisha Part 1: Nakabisha, Sankenbisha, Mukaibishahen (Akira Watanabe's Static Rook vs. Ranging Rook Part 1: Middle Rook, Third File Rook, Facing Rook Edition) (2008)
• Watanabe Akira no Ibisha Tai Furibisha Part 2: Yonkenbishahen (Akira Watanabe's Static Rook vs. Ranging Rook Part 2: Fourth File Rook Edition) (2008)
• Yoku Wakaru Shogi Nyūmon (Big Korotan) (Easy-to-Understand Shogi Introduction, Big Korotan) (co-authored with Noboru Kosaku, 2008)
• Eisei Ryūō e no Kiseki (Path to Lifetime Ryūō) (2009)
• Ashita Taikyoku. (Game Tomorrow.) (2012)
• Shogi Hitome no Kimete (Shogi: Decisive Moves at a Glance) (2013)
• Watanabe-ryū Tsugi no Itte (Watanabe Style: Next Move) (2013)
• Shōbushin (Fighting Spirit) (2013)
• Watanabe Akira no Shikō: Banjo Bangai Mondo (Akira Watanabe's Thoughts: On and Off the Board Q&A) (2014)
• Watanabe Akira no Shōri no Kakugen Judgment: Gyoku Kin Gin Fu no Maki (Akira Watanabe's Victory Proverbs Judgment: King, Gold, Silver, Pawn Volume) (2016)
• Watanabe Akira no Shōri no Kakugen Judgment: Hi Kaku Kei Kyō Fu no Maki (Akira Watanabe's Victory Proverbs Judgment: Rook, Bishop, Knight, Lance, Pawn Volume) (2016)

7.2. Game and Manga Supervision

Watanabe has lent his expertise to the development of shogi-related media, including:

• Dare Demo Kantan! Watanabe Akira no Tsumeshogi (Anyone Can Easily! Akira Watanabe's Tsumeshogi) (Nintendo DS game, released 2006)
• Sōkei ~Hishō no Fu~ (Sokei ~Flying Game Record~) (manga series, written by Tasushi Hoshino, serialized 2018-2020)

7.3. Media Appearances

Watanabe has made various appearances across different media platforms, contributing to the public's understanding and enjoyment of shogi:

• Ōte! Saigo no Onegai (Check! One Last Request) (NHK Radio 1, October 14, 2019)
• Pro Yakyu × Shogi Tokuban: Pro Yakyu Saikyō Shogi-ō Ketteisen (Professional Baseball × Shogi Special: Professional Baseball Strongest Shogi King Deciding Match) (Niconico Live, December 20, 2020) - Appeared as MC and commentator.
• He has also visited the Go Meijin Title match control room and participated in a two-board match against Go Honorary Meijin Cho Chikun, winning the Go match (with a 9-stone handicap) and losing the shogi match (with a 4-piece handicap). In 2020, he appeared as a listener for Go commentary with Shinji Takao 9-dan. In 2022, he played a commemorative 6-stone handicap game against 13-year-old Go professional Sumire Nakamura 2-dan, winning by 13 points, and was subsequently certified as an amateur 3-dan in Go by the Nihon Ki-in.