The Economist.
A few months ago, I journeyed to Nara in Japan
to experience Shosoin, the country's most exclusive exhibition.
A royal treasure trove that opens to the public for just two weeks each year.
This year's star item is this four-string instrument that I'm looking at,
that is from 8th century, perhaps Tang Dynasty China or Nara period in Japan.
The leather patch in the middle shows three bearded,
long-robed gentlemen playing Go under the trees.
The board game Go was invented some 2,500 years ago,
and is one of the rare things that unites China, Japan, and Korea.
Three nations that otherwise find little to agree on.
For centuries, that shared culture helped shape the evolution of Go.
But in recent decades, tensions have grown.
And last year they came to a head,
when a high-profile clash between a Chinese and a Korean player
erupted at an international tournament in Seoul.
I'm Jeremy Page, The Economist’s Asia Diplomatic Editor, currently in Taipei.
And I'm Jiehao Chen, our China researcher based in London.
And this week we're asking: What's the appeal of this ancient board game
and why does it still arouse such passions across East Asia?