# Go apprentice

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{{redirect|Insei|the historical form of government|Cloistered rule}}
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A {{nihongo|'''go apprentice'''|院生|insei}} is a student learning to play [Go](/source/Go_(game)) at an institution, typically with the aim of becoming a [professional player](/source/Go_professional).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Oide |first=Koji |date=May 19, 2025 |title=赤字続きの日本棋院、囲碁棋士の採用減へ　狭まる入り口、広がる衝撃 |url=https://www.asahi.com/articles/AST5K2D16T5KUCVL01WM.html |access-date=2025-10-04 |work=[Asahi Shimbun](/source/Asahi_Shimbun) |language=ja}}</ref> In [Japan](/source/Japan), such a student is called an ''insei'' (literally, "institution student"). Institutions for insei include the [Nihon Ki-in](/source/Nihon_Ki-in) (Japanese Go Association) and the [Kansai Ki-in](/source/Kansai_Ki-in) (Kansai Go Association). The equivalent of Go insei in [Korea](/source/Korea) is ''yeongusaeng'' ({{Korean|hangul=연구생|hanja=硏究生}}), read ''kenkyūsei'' in Japanese and ''yánjiūshēng'' ({{zh|c=研究生}}, also meaning "graduate student") in Chinese.

== Qualifications and study ==
In Japan, once a year 3 or 4 apprentices who qualify in a yearly tournament become professional players.  

East Asian players are required to become a professional before the age of 18 while studying as insei, but foreigners have the chance up to the age of about 30.

To become an insei, a person requires a professional to sponsor them, and an application to the Nihon Ki-in.  There is no official way to contact a professional for sponsorship.

While insei, many people live with their professional sponsor, who tutors and supports them. Some insei just visit their professional sponsor several times a week. The professional sponsor acts as a mentor for the insei.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.nihonkiin.or.jp/index-e.htm Nihon Ki-in]
* [http://www.361points.com/inseidetails/ Insei in Japan]
* [http://insei-league.com/ Korean-style Insei League online]

apprentice

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