Jansou
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Jansou 「雀荘」, known in English as "mahjong parlors", are commercial venues where people can play mahjong. Customers may enter these parlors to play the game at a specific rate.
Useful Info
Payment
- Players pay a specific rate in order to play, either a set amount per game or per hour.
- In addition, games are often played for stakes. There are two major variations on this:
- Rate/"Free": People earn/lose money based on the amount of points gained, e.g. 100 yen = 1000 points. While gambling is illegal in Japan, because these stakes are so small, law enforcement usually doesn't mind. (Due to the table fee, it is very difficult to make a profit in a commercial jansou.)
- Often, only 1st place has to pay the table fee; players from 2nd through 4th only have to pay out to 1st place. Because 2nd thru 4th don't pay the table fee, they are said to have played "for free", giving this setting the name of "free".
- No rate: No money is earned from points. Instead, placement determines the table fee - placing 1st/2nd/3rd can give a discount.
- Alternatively, there are places where players can rent out a table and just pay by the hour/game.
- Rate/"Free": People earn/lose money based on the amount of points gained, e.g. 100 yen = 1000 points. While gambling is illegal in Japan, because these stakes are so small, law enforcement usually doesn't mind. (Due to the table fee, it is very difficult to make a profit in a commercial jansou.)
Playing
- Knowledge of Japanese and the rules of Japanese mahjong are obviously important. At the absolute minimum, being fluent at one or the other is critical. If you don't know or aren't fluent in Japanese, try to look for more new player-/foreigner- friendly venues. If you don't know Japanese and don't know mahjong, don't enter.
- There are significant differences between online and physical mahjong. In physical mahjong, players are expected to take turns quickly; since tiles must be physically picked up and discarded, this will feel faster than online play. There are no automatic prompts to call chii/pon/riichi, and winning tiles must be recognized manually. Also, unless the place is particularly friendly to new players, players should know how to score hands quickly. Players who are unable to take turns quickly (online client's 5s/turn, including the time spent drawing/discarding, is just barely acceptable) might not be allowed to play at a jansou.
- As with any place where you can play physical mahjong, you should have good manners. See Etiquette in mahjong for more details.
- For venues with rate mahjong, an "average" player can be expected to be around 5-dan (Master 3 in Majsoul).
Game Rules
- Most jansou use ari-ari rules (including 3 red fives), though the rules can obviously vary.