Walter Montego: I hope we'll have the option of using either kanji or directionally marked pieces. I personally prefer the kanji; they take a little while to learn, but before long they seem perfectly natural. In fact (and I know this sounds weird) I find it more difficult to play Shogi with the directionally marked pieces.

Of course different players will have different preferences. The directionally marked pieces will probably be easier for most newcomers to the game, while many experienced players (and a few oddballs like me) will prefer the kanji. So I hope we'll have both options, just as we currently do for Shogi.