The World Riichi Championship (WRC) is a worldwide competition of Japanese Mahjong (also known as riichi) held every 3 years since 2014. The competition is nominally open to people of all ages, men and women alike. Participants generally consist of Japanese professional Mahjong players and foreign amateur players selected by national organizations from Europe, North America, and elsewhere around the world.
History The first edition of WRC was organized by two brothers, Quentin and Valérian Thomas, founders of Tri Nitro Tiles (TNT), a French Riichi Mahjong Club in 2014.
On July 16–20, 2014, the 1st Championship was held in the Mairie de Puteaux (city hall), in the Paris, France region.
The second edition was organized by the United States Professional Mahjong League (USPML) in 2017. On October 4–8, 2017, the WRC was held at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
The third edition was hosted in Vienna, Austria. The original date was in 2020, but concerns over the coronavirus pandemic prompted planners to postpone the event. The third edition was finally held at the InterContinental Vienna in Vienna, Austria on August 25-28, 2022.
The fourth edition was held at Nihombashi Mitsui Hall in Chuo, Tokyo, Japan on July 1-6, 2025, organized by the Japan Professional Mahjong League (JPML), and specially sponsored by Earth Corporation as part of the business for its 100th anniversary. A team event was introduced in this edition.
The fifth edition will be held in New York City in 2028.
Qualification General qualification varies by country and association. Players from various nations refer to their national organization for qualification.
List of World Riichi Championships Main event YearHost countryHost cityOrganizerWinnerRunner-upThird placeCountriesParticipants 2014 Puteaux Tri Nitro Tiles (TNT) 23 120 2017 Las Vegas United States Professional Mahjong League (USPML) 25 224 2022 Vienna Kasu 34 152 2025 Tokyo Japan Professional Mahjong League (JPML) 38 256 2028 New York City TBA
Team event YearHost countryHost cityOrganizerWinnerRunner-upThird placeTeams 2025 Tokyo Japan Professional Mahjong League (JPML) Portugal/Spain China B Japan Full National Team B 45 2028 New York City TBA
See also European Riichi Championship European Mahjong Association (EMA)
References
External links WRC Official Site