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WAGC Venue Exposes Go to Public Eye

This year's World Amateur Go Championship is being held in an interesting public venue, the the AER Building, the tallest building in Sendai. The 31-floor building houses retail stores, government offices and commercial business offices, so players 

 -- after passing a Starbucks, outside of which are tables for beginners to learn the game -- take the escalators through a vertical mall -- high-end clothing, jewelry and shoe outlets -- to the fifth floor where there's a game review area (photo at right), tables for pro simuls (at left), and the main playing area, where observers filter in to watch the action. One floor up is a large conference room which hosted a kid's tournament on Saturday and an adult tournament on Sunday. All in all, there's a bustling atmosphere at this year's venue that brings the game of go into the public eye in an engaging way. - Chris Garlock; photos by John Pinkerton