title: Naoya Fujiwara
text: # Naoya Fujiwara
  
  Naoya Fujiwara (藤原 直哉, Fujiwara Naoya, born May 27, 1965) is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 7-dan.
  
  ## Early life and apprenticeship
  
  Fujiwara was born in Kobe on May 27, 1965. He was accepted into the Japan Shogi Association's apprentice school at the rank of 6-kyū as a protegee of shogi professional Masakazu Wakamatsu [ja] in 1979, and obtained full professional status and the rank of 4-dan in 1989.
  
  ## Shogi professional
  
  Fujiwara finished the finished the 75th Meijin Class C2 league (April 2016 – March 2017) with a record of 1 win and 9 losses, earning a third demotion point which meant automatic demotion to "Free Class" play.
  
  ### Promotion history
  
  The promotion history for Fujiwara is as follows:
  
  * 6-kyū: 1979
  * 1-dan: 1982
  * 4-dan: April 1, 1989
  * 5-dan: November 10, 1994
  * 6-dan: July 24, 2001
  * 7-dan: June 19, 2013
  
  ### Awards and honors
  
  Fujiwara received the Japan Shogi Association's "25 Years Service Award" in 2013 for being an active professional for 25 years.
  
  