Houchi rules

Descends into

• Tokyo rules — 1957, 1-han minimum

Cross-comparison

corroborated — two or more independent sources agree on the facts that define this variant

• [1] Amano Daizou published rules in the newspaper Houchi Shinbun between 11 November and 5 December 1952, for a game heavily based on tochuu riichi which he called simply riichi; the Houchi rules established the dora as the third tile from the edge of the dead wall. Amano then left the Federation and founded the Japanese Mahjong Association
• [2] independently states that the riichi variant played today emerged only after the publication of the Hochi rules in 1952, corroborating the Chombo Club account from a different source
• [3] independently confirms the 1952 Hochi Shinbun publication as the first standardised riichi rules, the report to the police by someone connected with the Mahjong Association of Japan, Amano's departure as its executive director, and his founding of the Japan Tile Association 日本牌棋院. Gives his dates as 1904-1982, which matches the other account's statement that the Federation accepted riichi in 2016, thirty-four years after his death

Reading it

Two independent sources agree that the 1952 Houchi/Hochi publication is the origin point of modern riichi. The Chombo Club gives the exact serialisation window, 11 November to 5 December 1952, and Amano Daizou as author; riichi.wiki, written by a different community, independently makes the same ruleset the hinge of the modern game. This is now one of the better-supported nodes in the Japanese branch.

Sources

1. Yuria (Hassouhatsu Club). "A Brief History of Japanese Mahjong." Krakow Chombo Club, 2 Aug 2026. canonical checked 2026-09-18

   Arushiiaru rules and scoring; Amano Daizou; the Houchi Shinbun serial of 11 Nov - 5 Dec 1952; the 1957 Tokyo rules and 1967 modern rules; bazoro; the Federation's 2016 acceptance of riichi.

   https://chombo.club/en/blog/2026/08/02/a-brief-history-of-japanese-mahjong/

   Also cited on: Japanese classical / arushiiaru, Tokyo rules, Modern rules, Modern riichi / yonma, WMPA / WMF · bibliography #10

2. Japanese Mahjong Wiki. "Japanese Mahjong." riichi.wiki. cross-check checked 2026-09-18

   Arrival in Japan in 1909; the post-1969 popularity surge; Tenhou.net in 2007.

   https://riichi.wiki/index.php?title=Japanese_mahjong

   Also cited on: Japanese classical / arushiiaru, Modern riichi / yonma, Sanma · bibliography #11

3. Japanese Mahjong Wiki. "Daizo Amano." riichi.wiki. cross-check checked 2026-09-19

   Biography and complete ruleset list for 天野大三 (1904-1982): the 1952 Hochi rules and the police incident, and the seven rulesets he authored between 1952 and 1978. Read through the Wayback Machine.

   https://riichi.wiki/Daizo_Amano

   Also cited on: Modern rules, Modern riichi / yonma · bibliography #72