u/Play_Sanma

Hi again. This is the third and last part of the market research I asked the mods about earlier.

The first post was about Sanma for beginners, and the second was about the kind of support people might want. This time I want to focus specifically on time and pricing.

The experience I’m working on is meant to let international visitors actually experience Japanese mahjong in person — real tiles, a real local mahjong parlor, and a modern Japanese automatic mahjong table — while learning enough to actually play and enjoy a game.

The price would include the whole experience, not just the table time.

That would mean things like:

• checking the group’s mahjong experience and preferences beforehand
• choosing and arranging a mahjong parlor that fits those preferences, including things like the smoking environment
• pre-visit information so guests know what to expect
• meeting a Guide before entering the parlor
• support in English, or another language the guest is comfortable using when available
• the Guide staying with the group throughout the experience and joining or supporting the table when needed
• teaching from zero for complete beginners
• for experienced or online players, adjusting the guidance to their level — including real-table procedures, automatic-table operation, local rules, etiquette, scoring or strategy when useful
• practice followed by actual Sanma play with support when needed

The goal isn’t just to sit through a mahjong lesson. I want people to actually touch the tiles, use the automatic table, understand enough of the game, and spend a meaningful part of the experience really playing it.

The main format I’m considering is:

5 hours — ¥27,500 per person

This would be the standard experience, with enough time to learn the basics and then spend a substantial amount of time actually playing.

I haven’t locked the exact 5-hour breakdown yet. I’m still deciding how much of the time should go to explanation, practice, actual play and some basic strategy.

I’m also considering a shorter option for travelers with a more limited schedule:

3 hours — ¥18,000 per person

Roughly:

• about 2 hours for explanation and practice
• about 1 hour for actual play

For a complete beginner, one full game may not always finish within the 3 hours, so this would be more of a shorter introduction for people who can’t fit the 5-hour version into their trip.

So I’m curious:

1. Knowing what’s included, how do those prices feel to you?

2. During a trip to Japan, would 5 hours feel too long to spend on one experience? And would 3 hours still feel too long, or does that fit more comfortably into a travel day?

3. For the 5-hour version, how would you want the time divided between learning, practice, actual play and basic strategy?

If your reaction is simply “too expensive,” I’d also be interested in what price would start to feel reasonable.

And if you wouldn’t be interested regardless of price or duration, that’s useful to know too.

This is market research only. No booking or sales links.

Disclosure: I used ChatGPT to help organize and polish the English wording. The project, pricing idea and questions are my own.

Hi everyone,

I’m doing market research for a beginner-friendly Japanese mahjong experience I’m currently planning for international visitors in Tokyo.

First, I’m curious:

Before seeing this post, how familiar were you with mahjong?

- Never heard of it

- Heard the name, but don’t really know what it is

- Know roughly how it works

- Have played before

For anyone unfamiliar with it:

Japanese Riichi Mahjong is usually played by four people using tiles. Sanma is a Japanese three-player version.

Japan also has dedicated mahjong parlors where people play with real tiles and automatic mahjong tables that shuffle and set up the tiles.

The experience I’m considering is mainly for complete beginners — even someone who only knows the word “mahjong.”

The goal isn’t to make someone a strong mahjong player as quickly as possible.

The goal is to let travelers experience a part of Japanese local culture they might not normally try on their own: entering a real mahjong parlor, touching real tiles, using an automatic table, learning the basics, and actually enjoying a game.

To make that experience approachable, it could include:

- choosing a parlor based on your preferences

- simple pre-visit guidance and a beginner Rulebook

- meeting an English-speaking Guide outside and entering together

- learning from zero with real tiles

- explanations matched to your experience level

- the Guide staying with your group and supporting or joining the table when needed

Why three-player mahjong?

Travel time is limited. Compared with learning full 4-player Riichi from the beginning, Sanma can be introduced with a relatively simpler set of rules for a first experience.

It can also be played with fewer people and tends to move relatively quickly, giving visitors more chances to actually draw, discard, make decisions and play during their limited time in Japan.

The learning would be step-by-step. The Guide would introduce the rules and concepts needed at each stage, using simple English and the real tiles in front of you, so you can start enjoying the game while you learn.

So I’d really like to hear from travelers:

1. If you knew little or nothing about mahjong, would this make you interested in trying it during a Tokyo trip?

2. What sounds most interesting to you?

The real tiles, automatic table, local parlor atmosphere, learning the game, having a Guide, or something else?

3. What would make you hesitate?

Price, time, language, the parlor feeling intimidating, simply not being interested in mahjong, or something else?

4. If mahjong doesn’t interest you right now, what could make you stop and think, “That actually looks fun”?

A photo? A short video of beginners trying it? The automatic table? The local Japanese atmosphere? Something else?

I’m especially interested in answers from people who have never played mahjong before.

This is market research only — there are no booking or sales links.

Disclosure: I used ChatGPT to help organize and polish the English wording. The project, service concept and questions are my own.

Hi everyone,

I’m currently planning a beginner-focused mahjong experience for international visitors to Tokyo and Osaka, and I’m doing some market research before developing it further.

The idea is not simply to recommend a mahjong parlor. It would be designed to help complete beginners enter Japanese mahjong culture more comfortably, with things such as pre-visit guidance and learning materials, help finding a suitable local parlor, and English guidance and support during actual play.

But before getting deeper into the service itself or its pricing, I first want to understand something more fundamental:

Could Japanese Sanma be a good introduction to mahjong for someone who knows little or nothing about the game?

For context, the Sanma rules I’m considering are based on a style commonly seen in Japanese mahjong parlors, although Sanma rules can vary by region and parlor.

Compared with four-player Riichi Mahjong, some of the main differences are:

- 3 players instead of 4, so there is no North seat

- 2–8 Manzu are not used

- North tiles can be removed from the hand as Kita and used as bonus tiles

For this beginner-focused version, I’m also considering:

- a fixed scoring table

- no fu calculation

- no tsumo loss

This may feel different from some online Sanma rulesets, since scoring and tsumo-loss rules can vary depending on the platform.

I don’t mean that Sanma is simply “easy.” It has its own rules and strategy.

But I’m wondering whether it could be a more approachable first step for complete beginners because:

- fewer tile types are used

- with only three players, your turn comes around more often

- removing fu calculation reduces one of the more complicated parts of scoring

- games can move relatively quickly

- Kita and other bonus tiles can create bigger hands and more dramatic score swings

My thought is that a complete beginner could experience the basic flow of mahjong — drawing, discarding, building a hand, calling Riichi, and winning by Ron or Tsumo — without having to learn every part of four-player Riichi from the beginning.

If they enjoy it, Sanma could also become a first step toward learning four-player Riichi later.

So I’d really like to hear what experienced players think:

If you were teaching a complete beginner, would you consider starting them with this kind of Sanma? Why or why not?

And if you had a friend who knew almost nothing about mahjong and was visiting Tokyo or Osaka, would you recommend trying Sanma at a real Japanese mahjong parlor as their first mahjong experience?

I’m especially interested in disagreement too.

For example:

- “I would teach four-player Riichi first.”

- “Sanma has too many unique rules for beginners.”

- “Sanma makes sense for a short travel experience.”

- “This scoring system would make it much easier to introduce.”

This is market research for a service I’m still planning, not a sales post. Honest criticism would be just as useful as positive feedback.

Disclosure: I used ChatGPT to help organize and polish the English wording of this post. The project, ideas, and questions are my own.