Sugimoto received the Japan Shogi Association’s “25 Years Service Award” in 2015 in recognition of being an active professional for twenty-five years.

Sugimoto is a former member of the Japan Shogi Association’s board of directors. He was elected to a two-year term as a non-executive director at the association’s 63rd General Meeting in June 2012.

Sugimoto was promoted to the rank of 1-dan in 1985 before obtaining full professional status and the rank of 4-dan in October 1990 after finishing the 7th 3-dan League (April 1990 – September 1990) with a record of 13 wins and 5 losses.

Masataka Sugimoto (杉本 昌隆 , Sugimoto Masataka, born November 13, 1968) is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 8-dan. He is a former non-executive director of the Japan Shogi Association.

Sugimoto was born on November 13, 1968, in Nagoya, Japan. In 1980, he finished third in the 5th Elementary School Student Meijin Tournament [ja] and entered the Japan Shogi Association’s apprentice school that same year at the rank 6-kyū under the guidance of shogi professional Susumu Itaya [ja] .