Akihiro Murata (村田 顕弘, Murata Akihiro, born July 14, 1986) is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 6-dan.
Murata was born on July 14, 1986, in Uozu, Toyama.
[1] He learned how to play shogi when he was about five years old from his father.
[2] In 1998, Murata took the entrance exam for the Japan Shogi Association's apprentice school, but failed;[3] he tried again the following year and was accepted at the rank of 6-kyū under the guidance of shogi professional Shōdō Nakada [ja].
[3][4] Murata was promoted to the rank of 3-dan in 2004 at the age of eighteen,[3] and obtained full professional status and the rank of 4-dan three years later after winning the 41st 3-dan League with a record of 15 wins and 3 losses.