Japanese Mahjong Japanese Mahjong Japanese Mahjong (Japanese: 麻雀, 麻将 or マージャン; "mājan"), also known as Rīchi Mahjong, is a variation of mahjong. While the basic rules to the game are retained, the variation features a unique set of rules such as "rīchi" and the use of "dora". The main mahjong article contains general terms, but only English and Japanese terms are used here. Terms like "chow," "pung," and "kong" are not used in this variation, yet their functions are still used. Instead, they are referred to in Japanese as "chī", "pon", and "kan". In 1924, a soldier named Saburo Hirayama brought the
Gin Chow more accurate than those of the U.S. Weather Bureau. Chow's last prediction came in 1932. He had been seriously gored by a bull and doctors believed him to be on his deathbed. Yet, Chow assured them that he would die one year later in 1933. Skeptics of Chow point to there being no evidence that his earthquake predictions are anything but claims made after the events took place. Critics also called Chows's assertion that he used a mystic key handed down from his ancestors to make his calculations, magic hidden as science and pointed to an increasingly erratic record in