takodori: I use traditional pieces in Japanese, even though I am an anglophone. I often ask people which they prefer, and I consistently get "traditional" as an answer. I think what stops the average Westerner from playing more is simply ignorance. There is no popular forum in which shogi is usually introduced. I am from Canada, and am playing on BK because no one else in most cities I have lived in has even heard of shogi. When I play go in cafes, people always think it is pente....