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Shogi (将棋) is Japanese chess, descended from the Indian game chaturanga. As this family of games travelled the Silk Road it became xiangqi in China and makruk in Southeast Asia. It probably reached Japan between the 8th and 10th centuries; the earliest written records date to the 11th-century Heian period, and the modern rules took shape largely in the 16th century.
Shogi's defining rule is the drop: a captured piece is not removed from the game but joins the capturer's side and can be placed back on the board. This keeps material in constant circulation and gives shogi its sharp, attacking character.
In Japan shogi is one of the most popular mind games alongside go and chess. The Japan Shogi Association (日本将棋連盟) ranks professional players (棋士, kishi) and runs the major title matches. In recent years AI engines have transformed how professionals study and prepare.