Based on the implementation of E. Werner and Fergus Duniho
Some assistance by Karl Scherer

 
Object: Checkmate (or capture) your opponent's Kakugyoku (Crane King).

Information From Jean-Louis Cazaux and Roger Hare--

Wa Shogi is played on a board of 11 x 11 squares and each player has 27 pieces.
Promotion: each player has a Promotion Zone consisting of the three ranks (rows of squares) furthest away from him. All pieces except the Crane-King, Cloud-Eagle and Treacherous Fox have a promoted rank and can promote on entering, moving within, or leaving the Promotion Zone. Promotion is not compulsory unless the piece would be unable to make a further legal move in its unpromoted state. The Sparrow Pawn and Oxcart must therefore promote on reaching the last rank.

Drops: it is not known if this game was intended to be played with drops or not. This version assumes there are drops.

DROP RULES : All promoted pieces revert to their unpromoted ranks when captured.

In general, a piece held in hand may be re-entered on any vacant square, subject to the following restrictions:

• A piece may not be dropped on a square from which it has no further legal move. (ie: a Sparrow Pawn or Oxcart can not be dropped on the last rank).
• A Sparrow Pawn can not be dropped in any file (column of squares) already containing an unpromoted Sparrow Pawn of the same side.
• A Sparrow Pawn can not be re-entered directly in front of the opposing Crane-King so as to give instant checkmate.

A piece dropped inside the player's Promotion Zone is not promoted until after it has made a further move on the board.

 
The Treacherous Fox and Heavenly Horse are the only pieces in Wa Shogi that have the power to jump over occupied squares.
The Treacherous Fox may jump to the second square in any of the directions. The Heavenly Horse can jump in the same way as a Knight in Western Chess,but only in the forward and reverse directions.
The Cloud-Eagle can move to the second or third squares on the forward diagonals only if the intervening squares are vacant. The Liberated Horse can move to the second square in the reverse direction only if the first square is unoccupied. The Cloud-Eagle and Liberated Horse are therefore not Jumping pieces.

 
Wa Shogi is first mentioned in literature in the 17th century. The pieces are all named after birds or animals, and the names are very whimsical (even by Shogi variant standards).
Other than the initial board setup and moves of the pieces, little definite is known about the game. It is assumed that in most respects the rules were identical to Shogi, but it is unclear whether or not the game was played with drops.

Both a version with and one without drops are included.