The variation is said to have originated with a blind shōgi player named Kengyo Ishida in the early Edo period.
[1] A renaissance of the Ishida variation occurred in the 1970s through the development of an original strategy by the well-known shōgi master Kōzō Masuda, in what is now called Masuda's Ishida (升田式石田流 Masuda-shiki Ishida-ryū).
The bishop usually moves to the edge from its starting position, as shown in the diagram, while the left silver is often brought to the center.
The Ishida Opening is also considered the ideal formation in a game with a Lance handicap.
The Ishida is also popular as a potent countermeasure against Static Rook Anaguma due to the versatility of its attack, with the left gold moving to 78 to improve the build up and to reinforce the weak points created by attacking from the seventh file.