On May 29, 2023, the Akasaka Drivens announced that they will be renewing the contract for Sonoda Ken and Suzuki Taro, but will let the contacts for Murakami Jun and Maruyama Kanako expire.
In the 2020-21 season, M-League implemented a new regulation stating that teams that fail to make the finals two years in a row with the same team must change their roster. Because the Akasaka Drivens were 7th in both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 season with the same players, the team was forced to make a change.
Murakami Jun was the Akasaka Drivens’ second round pick back in the inaugural M-League draft in 2018. With his help, the team was able to become the first-ever M-League champions. The year after, he was 2nd place overall for highest season score and 3rd place overall for 4th place avoidance. The year after that, he repeated his 4th place avoidance performance to take the bronze position two years in a row.
Unfortunately, he has had some difficulties recently, getting 30th overall two years in a row. In the 2022-23 season, it took until February 14 before he was able to get his first win of the season.
In his news release message and tweet, he said that the past five years have gone by in a blink of an eye, thanked everyone one for the support and that he will continue to work hard so that he may one day be on the M-League stage again.
Maruyama Kanako joined the team in the 2019-20 season after the league allowed each team to have 4 players and implemented the mixed gender rule. A relatively unknown player at the time, the Akasaka Drivens aimed to pick a player with promise and train them up. This surprise pick was dubbed M-League’s “Cinderella Story”. In her very first game, she was in last place going into the last hand. While in riichi, she passed on a ron that would put her into 3rd place in order to try for 1st. The gamble paid off and she ended up winning a baiman tsumo on her last draw for 1st place, the most impressive M-League debut ever.
However, her overall record has not been the greatest, being positive for only one season and failing to make the top half of the standings in any of them. In the 2022-23 season, Maruyama couldn’t get a win until February 10, more than a year from her previous M-League win.
In her news release statement and tweet, she said she had many wonderful experiences in the league over the past four years and was grateful for all the people who helped her grow.
With the departure of Maruyama, the team must pick a female player in the June 30th draft in order to satisfy the league’s mixed gender rule.
The M-League Watch team would like to thank Murakami and Maruyama for all the fun and excitement they brought to the league and wish them good luck on all their future mahjong endeavours.
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