Hello, Ms. Izawa. I’m ashamed to confess that, perhaps because of my age, I can’t remember many josekis. This is a real problem for me. Do you think that it’s better to focus on mastering a few josekis rather than studying a large number in a shallow way? Consultation Two : Mr. Yamahira Hello, Mr. Yamahira. Thank you for your question. Josekis . . . actually I don’t know many myself. (laughter) When I became an insei when I was 5- or 6-dan, I noticed that the other inseis were playing really difficult josekis, so I went all out to learn them myself. When you are playing the opening, you will have more options if you know a large number of josekis, so it will be easier to work out opening strategies. It also helps if you know the right counter when your opponent plays a difficult joseki. But I think the important thing is not memorizing josekis but the way you use them. It’s better to learn simple josekis, but I can’t recommend the ‘broad but shallow’ approach. The important thing when you learn a joseki is not to memorize the order of moves but to understand the meaning of the moves. This will make the joseki easier to learn. I wish you the best of luck in your efforts to improve.