Between the two brothers, Soukan III and Kanju were the best shogi player and tsumeshogi composer of their era; and the other would be the second best respectively. Generations later, the 11th head of the Oohashi main family, Oohashi Soukei XI, would praise Soukan III as first among Meijin, and Kanju as first among tsumeshogi composers. Their offered collections, the Shogi Musou and Shogi Zukou, are still considered by modern composers to be the greatest tsumeshogi masterpieces in the golden age of tsumeshogi.
Kanju would have become the next Meijin, but before the transfer of power happened he sadly passed away in 1760 just 41 years old. Kanju was bestowed the title of Meijin posthumously, one of only two players to be accorded this honour (贈名人).
The same year, Itou Kanjo 7-dan passed away, followed by Meijin Soukan III himself a year later aged just 56. Just like that, the Itou house was devastated. The next head in line, Itou Tokuju IV would also die before his time in 1763 at the young age of 24 – just a year older than when his father had ascended to the position of Meijin. To continue the lineage, Tokuju’s adopted son, Torigai Chuushichi (鳥飼忠七) became the next head of the house as Itou Souin V.
The death of Soukan III also left the shogi world devastated as he vacated the seat of Meijin. The seat was empty for the first time since its creation, and would remain so for the next 27 years until 1789.