Karolina Styczynska, a 20-year-old Polish university student, is dreaming of an unlikely career in Japan: becoming one of only a handful of foreign professional "shogi" players.
Styczynska first came across shogi — a chesslike board game — four years ago, when she was reading "Naruto," a popular manga series that publisher Shueisha Inc. says has been translated into more than 30 languages, including English, French and Polish.
The protagonist Naruto, an apprentice ninja, and a friend at the ninja school were seen playing a board game unfamiliar to her.