Description
Kita Shoji Travel Chess Set
The Kita Shoji Travel Chess Sets were crafted by Kita Shoji K.K of Tokyo in occupied Japan at the end of World War II. The natural and brown-stained chessmen and chessboard are contained in its original, 5″ x 7″, royal blue covered velvet hard case, somewhat discolored consistent with long-term exposure to sunlight. The Staunton pattern chessmen are extremely well carved for a set of this size.
The case and chessmen are in excellent condition, but the chessboard shows longitudinal hairline cracks the entire length of six of the seven ranks. These cracks do affect the functionality or playability of the chess set. The inside of the case is stamped “Kita Shoji K. K., Tokyo, Japan”. The Kita Shoji company has been in business since at least 1920. One reference to the company from the 1920s lists them as Kita SHOJI K.K. S.I-CHOME NIHONBASHITORI CHUO-KU TOKYO. They manufactured and sold gaming pieces such as dominoes, cribbage, chess, objects of art such as figurines, as well as jewelry. There is reason to believe that this is the same company that produced the Mikado under the Golden Castle Ltd. brand.
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