Mahjong Equipment

Here's what you will find inside a typical Japanese Mahjong set box.

Janpai 雀牌 (Majan set)

The tiles needed to play the game.
There are 136 tiles in Japanese Mahjong, composed of four copies of a 34 tiles set. This 34 set is divided in 3 suits tiles and honor tiles.

Shuupai 数牌 (suit tiles)

These are like normal suit cards found in western game. Only that there are only 3 suits and they run from 1 to 9.

Pinzu 筒子

The circles suit also known as dots, balls, circles, coins, buckets.

From left to right: 1 to 9 pinzu.

Souzu 索子

The bamboos suit also known as bams, sticks, hundreds.

From left to right: 1 to 9 pinzu.

Wanzu 萬子 (万子) (or Manzu)

The characters suit also known as craks, wan, ten thousands

From left to right: 1 to 9 Wanzu.

Tsuupai 字牌 (Honor tiles) (other spellings: juuhai tsuuhai)

These are divided in two groups. Remember these tiles are unsuited. Divided in wind tiles and dragon tiles:

Kazehai 風牌 (wind tiles)

They indicate the four cardinal winds. East, South, West, North.

Ton 東 (East)

Nan 南 (South)

Shaa 西 (West)

Pei 北 (North)

Sangenpai 三元牌 (Dragons)

They represent the three cardinal virtues from Confucius. In western world are knows as Dragons.

Chun 中 (officially honchun 紅中: Red Middle) (Red Dragon)
Represents the benvolence.

Haku 白 (officially paipan 白板: White Board) (White Dragon)
Represents the filial piety

Hatsu 発 (officially ryuufa 緑発: Green Prosperity) (Green Dragon)
Represents the sincerity

Suit Tiles classification

The suit tiles are divided in terminals and simples. The terminals are the 1 and 9 tiles. The simples the tile from 2 to 8. The japanese name for terminals is Routohai (老頭牌), the japanese name for simples is Chunchanpai (中張牌).

Japanese Naming of tiles

Every tile has a specific name in Japanese. Mostly the terms are transposed from Chinese language. So Mahjong requires a specific study of lexicon even for native Japanese people.

Here is a table with all japanese names for the tiles.

数牌 (Suuhai)	萬子 (Manzu or Wanzu)
		Iiwan	Ryanwan	Sanwan	Suuwan	Uuwan	Rouwan Ryuuwan	Chiiwan	Paawan	Chuuwan Kyuuwan
	索子 (Souzu)
		Iisou	Ryanzou	Sansou	Suusou	Uusou	Rousou Ryusou	Chiisou	Paasou	Chuusou Kyuusou
	筒子 (Pinzu)
		Iipin	Ryanpin	Sanpin	Suupin	Uupin	Roupin Ryuupin	Chiipin	Paapin	Chuupin Kyuupin
字牌 (Juhai Tsuuhai)	風牌 (Kazehai)
		Ton	Nan	Shaa	Pei
	三元牌 (Sangenpai)
		Chun	Haku	Hatsu

Tenbou 点棒 (point sticks)

They are traditionally used to keep track of score. Just the same as poker chips for example.

• 10000 points counter
• 5000 points counter
• 1000 points counter
• 100 points counter

Saikoro 賽子 / 骰子 (dice)

Two dice are used. Typical majan die is small, white and with the "one" face depicted as a large red dot.

They are rolled at the beginning of the game to determine seat and dealer and at the beginning of a round in order to break the wall.

Taku 卓 (mahjong table)

Majan is played on a square table. Four players sit at each end. Nowadays automatic tables are used in mahjong parlours.

Dealer indicator (起家マーク)

It's an indicator denoting the first dealer and the Prevailing Wind of the round.