Seki

Seki is a city in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It has a long-standing tradition as a center of sword-making and cutlery, with a history that reflects the region’s metalworking crafts. Historically, blades produced in Seki were widely used in Japan and traded for goods from abroad, and the city continues to preserve this heritage through workshops, museums, and craft-focused activities. Today, Seki’s economy and culture remain closely tied to metalworking and traditional crafts, alongside modern industries and services.

In the context of the board game Go, seki denotes a life-and-death situation in which two or more groups are alive, but neither side can capture the other without risking their own stones. The position is characterized by mutual life: a move that would capture a stone would often lead to self-capture, so both sides avoid playing in the seki.

Seki is also a Japanese surname. As a family name, it is borne by multiple individuals in Japan and among Japanese communities abroad. The name can be found in various fields, including arts, academia, and business, reflecting its use as a standard personal surname in Japanese-speaking populations.