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Formidable pieces, I say.

I don't think that the rook 'reappeared' in Shogi, because it was never gone. Makruk, one antecessor in the genealogical line of Shogi, also has it.

What is striking is that no widely played chess variant has lost the knight completely despite the fact that it is found difficult by many beginners and even intermediate level players of chess. The knight certainly adds 'flavour' to chess and to any chess variant where it is in. 

The rook is another constant in chess, being there from the very beginning.

So how come this site doesn't have a Ko Shogi page? Is it anything to do with the different piece names from most Shogi variants? Interesting to note that this game's players call the same piece by their word for elephant as Russians do by theirs!
	Returning to the subject in hand (until dropped, of course!), just as this is a modified Knight another piece is a Rook modified in the same way - but the original Rook is also there, in a new position.

Charles Gilman wrote:

So how come this site doesn't have a Ko Shogi page?

AFAIK, it's because no one has made one.

Is it anything to do with the different piece names from most Shogi variants?

Unlikely. For my part, I never even heard of the game until you asked about it here.

Interesting to note that this game's players call the same piece by their word for elephant as Russians do by theirs!

I'm not clear on what you're talking about. Do you mean the Drunken Elephant? Does this have anything to do with the Honorable Horse?

I think, modern bishop is still called 'elephant' not only in Russia, but
in some other countries probably too (i am not sure, but i know that modern
queen is also ferz in several countries), and it's another argument that
Ko shogi is made with influence of European chess, i suppose (names of
Japanese and Chinese bishops (Angle mover if it's based on Shogi or
officer if it's based on Xiang-qi (7 players Xiang-qi variant)) means
anything, but not elephant, there are other pieces, called 'elephant').
Heavenly horse can be seen as piece, wich moves as honourable horse, but in
any direction (imigine that you don't know about western knight. How
you'll describe piece, wich 'moves as h.h., but in any direction now?).
In first comment i was talking not about it. Isn't it amazing, that among
hundreds, hundreds ofpieces in Shogi variants, there is only one piece,
wich is based honourable horse? Why there is no any compound piece, wich is
compound of honourable or heavenly horse with something (for example,
vertical mover+honourable horse) or piece, wich makes some kind of h.h's
leap (for example, moves as camel, but only in forwardmost directins)? In
Xiang-qi variants there such variant of Chinese knight (for example,
banner/fire/wind in game of three kindoms to normal Chinese knight is as
Tamerlane camel to western knight, cavalry in 7 players XQ and Korean
elephant are also such variants; there are one compound too: Yitong is
rook+chinese knight+cannon, but i am not sure if it made without influence
of western compound pieces). I think, it's strange...

This doesn't explain the fact that in Heian Shogi and Sho Shogi, the Knight has the same movement as in today's Shogi. My pet theory on this and the Lance's forward-only slide is that the Bushido Code has something to do with it. The Bushido code, which says surrender is the worst dishonor, and by proxy shames cowardice, may have been inprinted on the game by making certain pieces forward-only.

My interpretation was that the forward‐only thing was just a pragmatic way of ensuring offensive play, sort of like a primitive cousin of the jeu forcé. Much in the same way as Draughts/Checkers has FO pieces.