Local yaku

Local yaku 「ローカル役」, also knows as old yaku 「古役」, are yaku not used in the standard ruleset of Japanese mahjong. Though most local yaku are very rare, some still see frequent use, especially in Japanese mahjong parlors and sanma rulesets.

For a full overview of local yaku, see List of local yaku.

Common local yaku

These local yaku are either still in use, or otherwise well known.

Sanrenkou

Sanrenkou 「三連刻」 (lit. Three consecutive triplets) is a hand with three triplets in an identical suit, where each triplet is 1 higher than the previous.

• Value: 2 han
• Example: , Agari:

Open riichi

Main article: Open riichi

Open riichi 「オープンリーチ、開立直」 is a riichi hand, where the hand is revealed to their opponents after declaration. Sometimes the player is only required to reveal the wait pattern, not the whole hand.

• Value: 2 han (supersedes the normal riichi)

A variation exists if the declaration is daburu riichi, Open double riichi 「オープンダブルリーチ、開両立直」.

• Value: 3 han (supersedes the normal daburu riichi)

In some rulesets, this yaku turns into a yakuman if another player intentionally deals into the open riichi.

Isshoku sanjun

Isshoku sanjun or Iisou sanshun 「一色三順」 (lit. Pure triple sequences) is a hand built with three identical sequences, in both numbers and suit.

• Value:
  • 2 or 3 han
  • Closed only, or allowing opened-hand with 1-han decreased
  • Supercedes iipeikou
• Example: , Agari:

Nagashi mangan

Main article: Nagashi mangan

Nagashi mangan 「流し満貫」 is a special yaku achieved by only discarding terminal and honor tiles. If none of the player's discards have been called, and the game ends in an exhaustive draw, the player is awarded this yaku.

• Value: Mangan

Renhou

Main article: Renhou

Renhou 「人和」 (Humanly hand, Hand of man or Blessing of human) is a yaku achieved by a non-dealer player wins by ron with their starting hand, before drawing a tile. Similar to tenhou and chiihou, any calls will nullify the yaku.

• Value:
  • Mangan / Baiman / Yakuman
  • Can be treated as a 4 han yaku or 8 han yaku (allowing it to stack with regular yaku)
• Example: , Ron: (Turn 0).

Isshoku yonjun

Isshoku yonjun or Iisou suushun 「一色四順」 (lit. Pure quadruple sequences) is a hand containing four identical sequences in a same suit. Also known as Suuren taihou 「四連太宝」.

This yaku may be either closed only or allowed open. The difficulty comes from the process of collecting those twelve tiles with continuous numbers in one suit, while only the kamicha can help to feed the tiles. Generally not reduced in value when open (similar to other yakuman).

• Value: Yakuman
• Examples:
  • 
  • , Ron:

Suurenkou

Suurenkou 「四連刻」 (lit. Four consecutive triplets) is a hand containing four triplets (or quads) in one suit where their numbers are increased by 1.

• Value: Yakuman
• Example: , Ron:

The following hand is also called Junsei suurenkou 「純正四連刻」 (lit. Pure four consecutive triplets): shanpon-machi with either waits ensures a suurenkou.

• Example: , Agari: /

Daisharin

Main article: Daisharin

Daisharin 「大車輪」 (Big wheels) is a closed hand with a pattern of 22334455667788 in pinzu. Likewise, Daichikurin 「大竹林」 (Bamboo forest) and Daisuurin 「大数隣」 (Numerous numbers) is achieved by using the same pattern in souzu and manzu respectively.

• Value: Yakuman
• Examples:
  • , Ron: (Daisharin)
  • , Tsumo: (Daichikurin)
  • , Ron: (Daisuurin)

In sanma rulesets, this yaku is often defined as any chinitsu chiitoitsu.

Paarenchan

Paarenchan 「八連荘」 (lit. Eight consecutive dealership) is a special winning state related to renchan. Roughly speaking, if a player successfully keeps his dealership for eight continuous rounds, or simply wins eight hands continuously, the hand he won at the last time will be automatically scored as a yakuman, as long as it is a valid winning hand.

More specifically, there are three main variants to determine a paarenchan:

Definition 1: Winning eight hands consecutively, no matter if the player is the dealer at that round.

Definition 2: Winning eight hands continuously exactly in his own dealership (as how the yaku name strictly indicated).

Definition 3: Successfully accumulates eight honba points on his own. Usually a hand must be won at the last honba, while it doesn't matter for the previous ones.

Rulesets that include paarenchan will usually include the optional restriction of ryanhan-shibari, which is applied dealer after the fifth round. (This means that, past the 5th honba, each winning hand must be 2+ han.)

• Value: Yakuman