Point of View

The Master of Go is told from the point of view of a journalist who is also somewhat involved in the proceedings he reports on. The narrator, Uragami, is a reporter for the newspaper that has sponsored the go match between the Master and Otake. He is a devoted amateur player himself who approaches his description of the actual play of the game with seriousness.

The narrator is also a great admirer of the Master and the older aristocratic culture he represents. He describes him as a noble, tragic figure in the final days of his life. While he is a journalist, he does not treat his subject with objectivity from an external viewpoint. His admiration for the Master and the traditional form of the game seem to cause him to excuse the sometimes arbitrary and arrogant behavior of the older player.

The events in the...