Sudoku Fun Day

Like secret agents seven Nikoli puzzle staff arrived at the Tokyo American Club at the appointed time, briefcases in hand. Only 45 minutes to set up the room for the 40-odd contestants! The Club set a ceiling on attendees, which meant disappointing latecomers. The Nikoli folks swiftly arranged tables to display treasures such as the Ur sudoku magazine; they plugged in laptops in silence. No one was eager to practice their English.

Sudden frisson of anxiety: Where was the guest of honor, Maki Kaji? G-san rushed off to the Smoking Room, well remembered from his last visit. At 1:30 the first contestants arrived: Two brothers, S-kun and Y-kun, whose parents remained as spectators. Front row seats for the family! Next, a white-haired Norwegian couple made themselves comfortable in the other front row seats. The Librarian had created place cards for each contestant. When one couple didn't find their names, the oversight was quickly rectified. Within 10 minutes the room buzzed with couples, families and tables of tweens. Popcorn and pop on offer quickly disappeared.

At 1:50 the self-declared "Father of Sudoku" appeared, a pack of American Spirit in the pocket of his rumpled trenchcoat. Paparazzi parents asked permission to snap his photo with their young mathematicians. Although it was early in the day for him, Kaji-san was agreeable and draped his arms around each fan. A staff member led him away for a quick run-through of his speech. The flurry of excitement threw the event five minutes off schedule. "We're in America," I assured the Nikoli people.

In my opening remarks, I mentioned that sudoku transcends language, wondering if there was an easier verb to explain the universal appeal. Then Kaji-san took the stage. "This is the first time for me to give a speech in English in Japan," he said. He recounted the apocryphal tale of how the word sudoku came to be. During the typesetting of number place puzzle in 1984 his staff asked him what to call it in Japanese? "It means single, unmarried, numbers," he explained, adding "but I am happily married!" Kaji-san said he had no regrets about not taking a copyright on the word since his reward is the pleasure he has given to people around the world. He ended in true showman style: "Let's play sudoku!"

For 30 minutes K-san valiantly used his English to explain the rules of the game. Practice papers were handed out, which everyone madly scribbled in. The clock showed that we were now 15 minutes ahead of schedule! "Time for a break!" announced another staff member. As the contestants stretched their legs, the president of the Club arrived for more photos and whisked away our VIP, introducing him to Club members along the way.

At last the moment of truth: Contestants identified themselves as Expert or Beginner (adults and Juniors). Papers distributed, pencils poised. "Start!" K-san announced. Within 10 minutes the Expert group completed their puzzle; the Beginner group needed another 10. Expert winners included a young American father and a pregnant Japanese woman. Eleven-year-old S-kun took first prize for the Juniors and the Norwegian man second prize in Beginners! All received an official certificate signed by Kaji-san who embraced each one as flashbulbs went off around the room. Other prizes included items with the Nikoli logo, as well as Club vouchers.

A visibly more relaxed Nikoli staff spent the next hour at the bar, puffing and polishing off pitchers of Ebisu. The post mortem (nijikai) is key to any local event. "Oishii (delicious)!" they exclaimed over the American delicacies, especially the exotic Reuben. Kaji-san took a magic trick out of his other pocket and demonstrated his amazing abilities. On the wall-size TV screen CNN was broadcasting the Blizzard of 2010 as it fell over Washington, DC.

"Aren't you glad we're sitting here at this moment?" asked the Club president. No question.