Japanese Riichi: Yaku, Furiten, Defence and Scoring

Riichi mahjong's gate is yaku: no yaku, no win. This tutorial takes you from Chinese-style play into riichi's four core ideas — yaku, furiten, defence, scoring.

About rule differences Overseas variants are defined by associations, clubs or the table itself. This page gives the mainstream version to build a frame and read the jargon; in a real game or tournament, the official or table rules win.

1. The frame

136 tiles, no flowers; four players with 13 tiles each, building four sets plus a pair (or seven pairs). Biggest difference: you must have a yaku to win — a complete shape is not enough. Signature concepts: riichi, furiten, dora, han and fu.

2. Yaku — where the right to win comes from

Learn the frequent ones first: riichi, tanyao, pinfu, yakuhai (dragons / seat wind), menzen tsumo. Riichi is central: declare it when closed and tenpai for 1000 points, gaining extra han and an ippatsu chance. See our riichi intro and yaku reference.

3. Furiten — the three red lines

Furiten means you are waiting but cannot win — riichi's most counter-intuitive rule. Three main cases: a winning tile is in your own discards; you passed on a win this turn; you passed a win after riichi. While furiten you can only self-draw, and riichi-furiten persists — which is why defence and win-judgement matter.

4. Defence — folding (betaori)

Riichi is largely decided by folding decisively when someone declares riichi or the board gets dangerous. Basics: play their genbutsu (tiles already discarded safely) first, then yours, then consider suji. Genbutsu and suji cover beginner defence; reading and fold-timing come later.

5. Scoring — fu and han

Riichi score: base = fu × 2^(2+han), then adjusted for dealer/non-dealer and ron/tsumo. Fu comes from sets, the pair, the wait shape and the win type; han from yaku and dora. You rarely compute by hand — verify with a score calculator.

Practice checklist

  1. Write 'no yaku, no win' somewhere visible; for 20 games just check whether you have a yaku.
  2. Memorise five yaku (riichi/tanyao/pinfu/yakuhai/menzen tsumo) and look up the rest.
  3. Do 20 tile-efficiency problems a day, deciding 'push or fold'.
  4. Drill furiten: check your own discards before claiming a win.
  5. Verify scores with a calculator until you can eyeball the mangan range.

FAQ

Why can't you win freely in riichi?
Riichi requires a yaku. A complete shape is a precondition; you also need at least one yaku (riichi, tanyao, yakuhai, etc.).
What is furiten?
Furiten is a restricted state where you are waiting but cannot win — e.g. a winning tile in your own discards, or passing a win after riichi. You can then only self-draw.
Do you need to count fu in riichi?
Yes, but not by hand. Score = fu × 2^(2+han); use a tool and remember the common ranges.
Is riichi or MCR better for beginners?
Riichi develops reading and defence; MCR is closer to Chinese fan play. Either way, start with tile efficiency and defence.

World mahjong series

Mahjong WorldwideUS / Europe / Japan / SE Asia / Korea American Mahjong152 tiles · annual card · no chow European MahjongMCR (official) · OMS · competition Vietnamese & SE Asianmạt chược · flowers · 16-tile Korean Hwatuhwatu, not mahjong American Mahjong Cardreading · joker rules · memorising Singapore & Malaysiaflowers + animal tiles · table-defined Philippine 16-Tile16 tiles · tai/fan · close to Taiwanese European OMSsimplified scoring · club play TerminologyCN · EN · JP cheat sheet Clubs & Tournamentsassociations · clubs · online Learning Pathsystem → terms → fundamentals American Mahjong Strategytracking · jokers · Charleston Online Platformsriichi clients · MCR · American

Prefer Chinese? 读中文版 →