About M-League
Table of Contents
What is M-League?
M-League (stylized M.LEAGUE, also written as M League) is a professional Japanese (Riichi) mahjong sports league held in Japan. Created in 2018, M-League aims to change the negative gambling stereotype of mahjong and change it to a positive and exciting mind sport for everyone around the world.
10 different teams with 4 players each compete over 9 months for the chance to win ¥70,000,000 and to be crowned the M-League champions.
What has always been an individual competition will now become a team event at the most elite level.
“M. League” — a new professional mahjong league in Japan — will consist of a small handful of top professional mahjong players. Strategies and tactics backed by intelligence… Sophisticated league environment… Backed by sponsors, professional M-Leaguers will compete against one another in their new team uniforms. The teams will go head-to-head with their pride at stake. It’s the dawn of a new era for mahjong!
– M.League Promotional Material
Rules
- Hanchan/East-South games
- Open Tanyao + Red 5’s (one in each suit)
- 30/10 uma, 20 oka, split on tie
- No Renhou, Nagashi Mangan or other optional/local yaku
- Headbump on double/triple ron
- Mangan rounding on (4 han 30 fu and 3 han 60 fu are mangan)
A more detailed list of rules can be found here. The full list of official rules are available on the M-League website.
Eligibility
To be eligible to be chosen for M-League, prospective candidates must be a professional belonging to one of the following professional groups:
Japan Professional Mahjong League (JPML)
Nihon Pro Mahjong (NPM)
Saikouisen Professional Mahjong
(SPM)
Real Mahjong Unit
(RMU)
Mahjong Union
(Mu/μ)
To become a part of M-League, a professional from one of these organizations must be drafted by a team.
Teams
In the 2025-26 season, there are 10 teams competing in M-League. Each team is comprised of 4 players with at least 1 male and 1 female player.
Akasaka Drivens
Owned by Hakuhodo DY media partners, the Akasaka Drivens were formed in 2018 and were one of the seven inaugural M-League teams.
In the 2018-19 season, they managed to get Suzuki Taro in an exciting 3-team lottery and the team got the last qualifying spot in the finals. After an exhausting 24-game finals, the team became the first-ever M-League champions.
The team also some of the most interesting uniforms, from the rainbow jersey of the 2018-19 season to the bright green tartan uniform of the 2024-25 season.
Players on the team include:
- Sonoda Ken (園田賢) (Saikouisen), “Magician”, 2018 1st round pick and known for his exceedingly long interviews
- Suzuki Taro (鈴木たろう) (Saikouisen), “Zeus”, 2018 3rd round pick and winner of the 2003 Mahjong Saikyousen
- Asami Maki (浅見真紀) (Saikouisen), “Smart Support”, 2023 6th overall pick
- Watanabe Futoshi (渡辺太) (Saikouisen), “Mahjong Singularity”, 2023 7th overall pick, pig VTuber and three-time Tenhoui (highest rank on the online mahjong client Tenhou)
Former members include Murakami Jun (村上淳) (Saikouisen) and Maruyama Kanako (丸山奏子) (Saikouisen).
Beast X
Owned by BSJapanext, the Beast X (read as “Beast Ten”, known as the Beast Japanext in the 2023-24 season) was formed in 2023 and is the newest team in M-League.
Soon after the team was announced, the team held a tournament where the winner would be guaranteed a spot on the team. After receiving over 100 video submissions, the team chose 8 players to play in the tournament. In the end, JPML’s Sugawara Hiroe won and became the first player to be confirmed to the team.
The team made a big splash at the start of the season after Sarukawa Masatoshi and Suzuki Daisuke got an Ura 3 hand in each of their first games. Unfortunately, they finished their first season in 7th place, failing to advance to the semifinals.
In 2025, after replacing Sugawara Hiroe and Sarukawa Masatoshi, the Beast X held another audition, with Shimioshi Geki being victorious.
The players on the team are:
- Suzuki Daisuke (鈴木大介) (JPML), “Double-Edged Bulldozer”, 2023 3rd overall pick, winner of the 2019 Mahjong Saikyousen and 9-Dan in shogi
- Nakada Kana (中田花奈) (JPML), “Pure Table Influencer”, 2023 4th overall pick and former member of idol group Nogizaka46.
- Shimoishi Geki (下石戟) (NPM), 2025 5th overall pick and winner of the 2025 Beast X Draft Audition
- Tojo Rio (東城りお) (JPML), 2025 8th overall pick and former member of the Sega Sammy Phoenix
Former members include:
- Sarukawa Masatoshi (猿川真寿) (JPML), “Monkey Magic”, 2023 1st overall pick and winner of the 17th Mahjong Masters tournament
- Sugawara Hiroe (菅原千瑛) (JPML), 2023 2nd overall pick and winner of the 2023 Beast Japanext Draft Audition
Earth Jets
Owned by the Earth Corporation, the Earth Jets are the 10th team in M-League, joining the league during the 2025-26 season.
The team name comes from Earth Corporation’s bug repellent of the same name. The net lattice motif on the logo and the team’s jersey represents a net’s ability to simultaneously attack and defend.
Their mascots are twin chamaleons, one red and one green. The red chameleon is bold and aggressive and is named Oshi (おし), meaning “to push”. The green one, on the other hand, is cautious and reserved and is named Hiki (ひき), meaning “to pull”. These two represent the push and pull and the balance between them required in mahjong, knowing when to pursue a hand and when to fold it.
The players on the team are:
- Ishii Kazuma (石井一馬) (Saikouisen), 2025 1st overall pick and the 49th Saikouisen League title holder
- Miura Tomohiro (三浦智博) (JPML), 2025 2nd overall pick and 2-time winner of the JPML 10-Dan tournament
- Aikawa Megumu (逢川恵夢) (NPM), 2025 3rd overall pick and 5-time winner of NPM’s Women’s League
- HIRO Shibata (HIRO柴田) (JPML), 2025 4th overall pick and the 39th winner of JPML’s Phoenix League
EX Furinkazan
Owned by tv asahi, the EX Furinkazan was one of the seven teams in the inaugural 2018-19 season.
Before the 2020-21 semifinals, the team put out an ultimatum: Fail to make the podium and someone will get kicked. If they fail to make the finals, everyone will get kicked. This put intense pressure on the team, even making Takizawa Kazunori teary in some interviews. However, the team managed to push through and win the championship.
Before the 2021-22 season (when they only had 3 players), the EX Furinkazan held the EX Furinkazan Member Audition to see who would fill in their 4th spot. Pros from all five professional organizations competed in the tournament for a chance at a guaranteed spot on an M-League team. In the end, Matsugase Takaya (RMU) won after a big yakuman in the finals. Nikaido Aki’s older sister, Nikaido Rumi, would then join the team in the same draft after Takizawa Kazunori chose to leave the team during the offseason.
In 2025, the EX Furinkazan held another audition after dropping Matsugase and Rumi. They brought in winners of previous EX Furinkazan tournaments, as well as some select pros. The most elusive one was “Mister X”, who turned out to be former Kadokawa Sakura Knights player Uchikawa Kotaro. In the end, Nagai Kousuke, winner of the 2024 IKUSA. With all the hype behind him Uchikawa “Mister X” Kotaro ended up being drafted as well.
The team’s current lineup is comprised of the following:
- Nikaido Aki (二階堂亜樹) (JPML), “Tabletop Dancer”, 2018 1st round pick, 2-time winner of the JPML Women’s League and the younger of the famous Nikaido sisters
- Katsumata Kenji (勝又健志) (JPML), “Mahjong IQ 220”, 2018 3rd round pick, winner of the M-League 2022-23 4th Place Avoidance Award and the winner of the 32nd JPML Houou League
- Nagai Kousuke (永井孝典) (Saikouisen), 2025 6th overall pick and winner of the 2025 EX Furinkazan Draft Audition
- Uchikawa Kotaro (内川幸太郎) (JPML), “Maestro”, 2025 9th overall pick and winner of the 35th JPML 10-Dan tournament. Former member of the Kadokawa Sakura Knights.
Former members include:
- Takizawa Kazunori (滝沢和典) (JPML) 2018 2nd round pick. Played for the team from 2018 to 2021. Currently with the Konami Mahjong Fight Club.
- Matsugase Takaya (松ヶ瀬隆弥) (RMU), “Sensitive Super Cannon”, 2021 4th overall pick and winner of the 2021 EX Furinkazan Member Audition. Played for the team from 2021 to 2025.
- Nikaido Rumi (二階堂瑠美) (JPML), “Perfect Beauty”, 2021 4th overall pick, winner of the 2006 Mahjong Saikyousen and the older of the famous Nikaido sisters. Played for the team from 2021 to 2025.
Kadokawa Sakura Knights
Formed in 2019 and owned by Kadokawa, the Kadokawa Sakura Knights were the first “expansion” team in M-League.
In the 2021-22 season, things were going well for the team, with Sawazaki Makoto having an epic final game with the U-Next Pirates’ Mizuhara Akina for the MVP award. He just missed out, but their final handshake was an inspiring show of sportsmanship.
Near the end of the semifinals, it was announced that Sawazaki Makoto would be hospitalized after the semifinals for treatment of his primary myelofibrosis. This meant that he would be unable to play in the finals. With heartfelt wins and pose tributes to Sawazaki (and an injured leg by Hori Shingo), the team would go on to win the championship.
The team’s current lineup consists of:
- Okada Sayaka (岡田紗佳) (JPML), “Fully Armed Aphrodite”, 2019 2nd overall pick, gravure idol and winner of the 2nd JPML Queen’s League
- Hori Shingo (堀慎吾) (NPM), the “Little Genius”, 2020 1st overall pick and winner of the 18th Mahjong King League
- Shibukawa Nanba (渋川難波) (NPM), “Devil”, 2022 2nd overall pick, YouTuber and winner of the 18th Mahjong King League
- Akutsu Shota (阿久津翔太) (JPML), 2025 7th overall pick and current youngest M-Leaguer
Former members include:
- Sawazaki Makoto (沢崎誠) (JPML) 2019 3rd overall pick. Played from 2019 to 2022.
- Uchikawa Kotaro (内川幸太郎) (JPML), “Maestro”, 2025 9th overall pick and winner of the 35th JPML 10-Dan tournament. Current member of the EX Furinkazan.
Konami Mahjong Fight Club
The Konami Mahjong Fight Club is owned by Konami and was one of the seven teams in the inaugural 2018-19 season.
The Konami Mahjong Fight Club is directly linked to the game of the same name, which features various pros from JPML (including the M-Leaguers on this team).
The team has advanced past the regular season in every single season. In the 2022-23 season, they finished the regular season in 1st place and had their best result ever with a 2nd place overall finish.
Members of the team include:
- Sasaki Hisato (佐々木寿人) (JPML), “Demon King”, 2018 1st round pick, M-League 2020-21 MVP Award winner and tied for the most 1sts in a single regular season (13).
- Takamiya Mari (高宮まり) (JPML), “Lady Berserker”, 2018 2nd round pick, gravure idol and winner of the 1st Women’s Nihon Series
- Date Arisa (伊達朱里紗) (JPML), “Scarlet Valkyrie”, 2021 3rd overall pick and 3-time M-League individual award winner (the only player in M-League history to win all three individual awards [MVP, 4th Avoidance, Highest Hanchan]). Also a voice actor (notably Momose Narumi from Wotakoi, Ueshige Suzu from Saki and Qingque from Honkai Star Rail)
- Takizawa Kazunori (滝沢和典) (JPML), “Mahjong Vagabond”, 2021 5th overall pick. Former member of the EX Furinkazan and is now on the Konami Mahjong Fight Club with his close friend and rival Sasaki Hisato.
Former members include Maehara Yudai (前原雄大) (JPML) (2018-2021) and Fujisaki Satoshi (藤崎智) (2019-2021)
Sega Sammy Phoenix
Owned by Sega Sammy Holdings, the Sega Sammy Phoenix was one of the seven teams in the inaugural 2018-19 season.
Until the 2024-25 season, the Sega Sammy Phoenix was unique in being the only team with a female majority.
In the 2024-25 season, the Sega Sammy Phoenix won their first championship.
Players currently on the team include:
- Kayamori Sayaka (茅森早香) (Saikouisen), “Genius Woman Mahjong Player”, 2018 3rd round pick, winner of the 11th Women’s Saikouisen League and the M-League 2018-19 Highest Average Hand Award winner
- Daigo Hiroshi (醍醐大) (Saikouisen), “Lone Seeker” and “Mahjong Professor”, 2023 5th overall pick and winner of the 45th Saikouisen League
- Takeuchi Genta (竹内元太) (Saikouisen), “Invicible Titan”, 2024 1st overall pick and two-time winner of the Saikouisen League (47th・48th)
- Asai Takaki (浅井堂岐) (NPM), “Heracles’ Counterattack”, 2024 2nd overall pick and winner of the 21st Mahjong King League
Former members include Wakutsu Akira (和久津晶) (JPML) (2019-2021), Kondo Seiichi (近藤誠一) (Saikouisen) (2018-2023), Uotani Yuumi (魚谷侑未) (JPML) (2018-2024) and Tojo Rio (東城りお) (JPML) (2021-2024).
Shibuya Abemas
Owned by CyberAgent, the Shibuya Abemas was formed in 2018 as one of the seven inaugural M-League teams.
The Shibuya Abemas is one of the most successful teams in M-League, finishing on the podium 5 times in a row, the most of any M-League team. In the 2022-23 season, they won their first championship.
The Shibuya Abemas is unique in having all four of their players being from different professional organizations. These players are:
- Ooi Takaharu (多井隆晴) (RMU), “Fastest and Strongest” and “Mahjong Alien”, 2018 1st round pick, 2018-19 M-League MVP and 5-time winner of the RMU yearly league
- Shiratori Sho (白鳥翔) (JPML), “Mahjong Hybrid”, 2018 2nd round pick and 2-time winner of the Mahjong Masters tournament (24th・25th)
- Matsumoto Yoshihiro (松本吉弘) (NPM), “Tabletop Hitman”, 2018 3rd round pick and winner of the 25th Dragon King tournament
- Hinata Aiko (日向藍子) (Saikouisen), “Love Phoenix”, 2019 8th overall pick and 2-time winner of the Pro Queen tournament (16th・17th)
Team Raiden
Owned by dentsu, Team Raiden was created in 2018 and was one of the seven inaugural M-League teams. Before the draft, Hagiwara Masato became a professional just for the chance to be drafted. In the first round, he was chosen as the team’s captain.
In the 2022-23 season, the team had their best result ever with a 3rd place finish.
The team’s catchphrase is “Raiden no Mahjong wa Omoshiroi” (RMO) and fans of the team are part of the “Raiden Universe”.
The four players on Team Raiden are:
- Hagiwara Masato (萩原聖人) (JPML), “Seeker of the Snowfields” and the “Real Akagi”, 2018 1st round pick and (voice) actor (most notably the voice actor for Kaiji and Akagi)
- Setokuma Naoki (瀬戸熊直樹) (JPML), “Tabletop Tyrant”, 2018 2nd round pick and the only two-time winner of the Mahjong Saikyousen (2021・2022)
- Kurosawa Saki (黒沢咲) (JPML), “Bullish Venus”, 2018 3rd round pick, M-League 2022-23 Highest Hanchan Award winner and known for having a very low call rate
- Honda Tomohiro (本田朋広) (JPML), “(Hokuriku’s) Yakuman Prince”, 2021 2nd overall pick and holds the record for best 1st place rate in a single season (46.43% [13/28])
U-Next Pirates
Owned by U-NEXT, the U-Next Pirates was one of the seven teams in the inaugural 2018-19 season.
The U-Next Pirates were originally billed the “digital” team, featuring playstyle based on stats and probability and included online players like Tenhoui Asakura “ASAPIN” Koushin (Saikouisen) and Ishibashi Nobuhiro (Saikouisen).
In the 2019-20 season, the U-Next Pirates barely advanced at each round, taking the last qualifying spot for both the semifinals and the finals. In a nail-biter final day, the U-Next Pirates moved from 3rd to 1st place overall to win the championship.
After some difficult years and a roster change, the team had an amazing 2023-24 season. Three of their players finished in the top 4 of the individual standings (including MVP Suzuki Yu) and the team set a new record for the highest team score in the regular season of +887.6pts. They carried that momentum through the semifinals and finals and handily won the championship, making them the first and only team to win the championship twice.
Players on the team include:
- Kobayashi Go (小林剛) (Mu), “Mahjong Cyborg”, 2018 1st round pick, winner of the M-League 2020-21 4th Place Avoidance Award and 3-time winner of Mu’s yearly league
- Mizuhara Akina (瑞原明奈) (Saikouisen), “Unfinished Masterpiece” and “Noble Female Pirate”, 2019 6th overall pick and winner of the M-League 2021-22 MVP Award
- Suzuki Yu (鈴木優) (Saikouisen), “Warrior Race”, 2022 1st overall pick, winner of the M-League 2023-24 MVP Award and winner of the 46th Saikouisen League
- Nakabayashi Kei (仲林圭) (NPM), “Dragon Inheritor”, 2022 3rd overall pick, winner of the 22nd Mahjong King League and is part of an M-League in English initiative
Former members include Asakura Koushin (朝倉康心) (Saikouisen) (2018-2022) and Ishibashi Nobuhiro (石橋伸洋) (Saikouisen) (2018-2022).
Broadcast Team
Play-By-Play
Hiyoshi Tatsuya
(日吉辰哉)
(JPML)
Mondays & Thursday
Matsushima Momo
(松嶋桃)
(NPM)
Tuesdays
Kobayashi Misa
(小林未沙)
⠀
Fridays
Furuhashi Takashi
(古橋崇志)
(JPML)
Erikawa Maiko
(襟川麻衣子)
(JPML)
Colour Commentary
Tsuchida Kousho
(土田浩翔)(Saikouisen)
Kouno Naoya
(河野直也)(Saikouisen)
Oshida Yukio
(忍田幸夫)
(Mu)
Tanii Shigefumi
(谷井茂文)
(RMU)
Reporters
Matsumoto Kayo
(松本圭世)
⠀
Erikawa Maiko
(襟川麻衣子)
(JPML)
Yamamoto Ai
(山本亜衣)
(NPM)
Kinoshita Haruka
(木下遥)
(JPML)
Kawakami Rei
(川上レイ)
(JPML)
Kaji Risako
(梶梨沙子)
(Saikouisen)
Season Format and Schedule
A typical M-League season lasts from mid-September to late May, with games happening on almost every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday (with short breaks for the December holidays and between playoff phases). Broadcasts start at 19:00 JST and will consist of two games.
Starting this season, M-League will have simultaneous games being played on Thursdays and Fridays from September 25 to February 20.
To download schedules and calendars for the league and for each team this season, check out the following post: M-League 2025-26 Schedules and Calendars
Regular Season
The M-League 2025-26 Regular Season will consist of 300 games (108 game days, 120 games by each team) and will go from September 15 to March 27. The top 6 teams will advance to the semifinals while the bottom 4 teams are eliminated.
Semifinals
Going into the semifinals, each of the 6 remaining teams will have their score halved and rounded up to the nearest tenth.
The M-League 2024-25 Semifinals will consist of 30 games (15 game days, 20 games by each team) and will go from early April to early May. The top 4 teams will advance to the finals while the bottom 2 teams are eliminated.
Finals
Going into the finals, each of the 4 remaining teams will have their score halved and rounded up to the nearest tenth.
The M-League 2025-26 Finals will consist of 16 games (8 game days) and will go from early May to mid-May. The team with the highest score by the end of it will be the M-League champions.
Prizes
Team Awards
Starting in the 2024-25 season, the top team at the end of the regular season will receive a cash prize.
- Regular Season 1st place: ￥3,000,000
At the end of the finals, the top four teams will receive a cash prize.
- 1st place: ￥70,000,000 (Up from ￥50,000,000 from the previous season)
- 2nd place: ￥20,000,000
- 3rd place ￥10,000,000
- 3rd place ￥5,000,000 (New for the 2025-26 season)
As the champions, the 1st place team will also have the opportunity to raise the M-League Championship Plate.
Individual Awards
From left to right: Highest Hanchan (2021-22), MVP (2022-23), 4th Place Avoidance (2023-24)
Along with the team awards and prizes, there are four individual awards: MVP, Highest Hanchan, 4th Place Avoidance and Most 1sts (new for 2025-26).
The winners of the individual awards will receive a medal. The cash prizes for the individual awards are doubled in the 2025-26 season compared to last season.
MVP
The MVP Award is given to the player who had the highest total score at the end of the regular season. Starting this season, the winning player will receive 2,000,000 yen and a medal that looks like the M-League Championship Plate.
- MVP Award: ￥2,000,000 + Medal
Highest Hanchan
The Highest Hanchan Award is given to the player who had the highest score in a single hanchan during the regular season. The winning player will receive 1,000,000 yen and a medal.
- Highest Hanchan Award: ￥1,000,000 + Medal
4th Place Avoidance
The 4th Place Avoidance Award is given to the player who has the best 4th place avoidance rate during the regular season. The winning player will receive 1,000,000 yen and a medal.
- 4th Place Avoidance Award: ￥1,000,000 + Medal
Most 1sts
Starting in the 2025-26 season, the player with the most 1sts during the regular season will receive 1,000,000 yen and a medal.
M-League Highlights
Ultimate Debut
West
Rinshan
Denied
M-League Watch 