Learn riichi mahjong: rules, yaku, and scoring

Riichi mahjong — often just called Japanese mahjong — is the version with the riichi declaration, dora, and the scoring system everyone warns you about. This guide teaches it from scratch: illustrated rules in order, every yaku with an example hand, and scoring explained so it sticks. Free, no ads, no account. Published from Tokyo by ALBAN.

Mahjong hand: 2 of characters, 3 of characters, 4 of characters — 5 of characters, 6 of characters, 7 of characters — 4 of circles, 5 of circles, 6 of circles — 9 of circles, 9 of circles — 6 of bamboo, 7 of bamboo, 8 of bamboo — The shape of most standard winning hands: four sets and a pair. Learn this and the rest follows.

Choose where to start

How to play the beginner course
Tiles, setup, turns, calls, the riichi declaration, and your first win — in the order that makes each step obvious.
Yaku encyclopedia every winning pattern
Your hand needs a yaku to win. Every one is illustrated, with closed and open han values — plus notes on which ones beginners should learn first.
Scoring han, fu, and a free calculator
Scoring has a reputation, but you don't need all of it at once: shortcuts first, the formula second, fu last — and a calculator to check everything.

Most-asked questions

Why this guide exists

The best English riichi resources are wikis, tournament PDFs, and forum lore — accurate, but not designed for learning. We wanted one place that teaches in sequence, shows every hand as tiles instead of text, and never asks for an account or shows an ad. ALBAN is a Tokyo mahjong-table company founded in 1990; this guide is our contribution to the game finding new players worldwide. Rules follow WRC 2025, with common variations noted where they matter — see the editorial policy.