“Saikouisen has been putting effort in recent years, as the purpose of the organization’s activities to ‘spread and develop mahjong’ and ‘contribute to the improvement and development of mahjong culture.’
To provide some examples for what we did within Japan, the Kansai headquarters was established in 2013, and since then, we have expanded to Hokkaido, Tokai, Niigata, Kyushu, and Tohoku regions. The reason why we are expanding our branches, is to make our wish of making those who want to be able to experience the culture of Saikouisen mahjong, without being restricted by their area of residence or what stage they are in life, into reality.
As of 2024, we are active in 7 branches in Japan, and each branch holds the Saikouisen League, Pro-Amature League, and Pro Test. The exchange between each region (headquarters/branch) consists of player communication, knowledge and information sharing, and competition also seem to be gaining momentum.
Looking outside Japan, the number of mahjong enthusiasts is increasing regardless of nationality, gender, or age, due to the rise of the M.League, the development of online mahjong games, and hosting of various world tournaments.
Currently, there are 5 Saikouisen members living in Los Angeles, and they are working hard to ensure the number of players to fulfill the structure of our competition league.
If we can prepare the environment, it is possible to ‘establish a Los Angeles branch’ and ‘establish a Saikouisen Los Angeles league’ in 2025 (50th Season) at the earliest.
‘The spread and development of mahjong, unrestricted by national borders or nationalities.’
Please look forward to a new start for Saikouisen, as we will celebrate our 50th anniversary.