U-NEXT to Live Stream All Matches of the 97th Hulic Cup Kisei Title Series: Sota Fujii vs. Shinichiro Hattori Starting June 4th!

U-NEXT, a video streaming service operated by U-NEXT Co., Ltd. (part of the USEN & U-NEXT GROUP), will live stream all matches of the '97th Hulic Cup Kisei Title Series: Kisei Sota Fujii vs. Shinichiro Hattori,' beginning on Thursday, June 4, 2026.

The Hulic Cup Kisei Title Series is a highly anticipated event where the current title holder faces a challenger for the 'Kisei' title, one of the eight major titles in the Shogi world. This season, Kisei Sota Fujii, aiming for his seventh consecutive defense, will be challenged by Shinichiro Hattori, who reached his first title match after a stellar performance in the qualifying tournament. The matches promise to showcase cutting-edge tactics and deep strategic reading between two young talents representing the future of Shogi.

U-NEXT will provide full coverage of this five-match series. Viewers can enjoy both live streams and catch-up (on-demand) viewing.

[Schedule and Venues] Game 1: June 4 (Thu) from 8:40 AM at Ryugujo Spa Hotel Mikazuki Game 2: June 19 (Fri) from 8:40 AM at Nikko Kanaya Hotel Game 3: July 1 (Wed) from 8:40 AM at Numazu Imperial Villa Game 4: July 8 (Wed) from 8:40 AM at Hotel New Awaji Game 5: July 22 (Wed) from 8:40 AM at Takashinoyado Takashimaya

[Catch-up Streaming] Available after each match until November 30, 2026 (Mon) at 11:59 PM.