Understanding the Basics of Japanese Mahjong ? - By: Ingrid Grzeskowiak

Japanese Mahjong is a board game that has once more become accepted worldwide after the first international world tournament 2002. Formerly coming from China to Japan the rules and versions have changed and consist of very old as well as modern parts. Mahjong is practised in China, Japan, Europe and America with to some extent altered tile sets and versions. Also the manufacturing of tiles has changed since then as far as material is concerned.

The very first Mahjong sets were made of ivory. Since ivory is no longer accessible mahjong sets today are of many different materials. But there are undeniable efforts to at least replicate the color of ivory when manufacturing those tiles, so that there still is the visual connection with the original. The tiles are mostly either white or almost white in color. The earliest tile sets however, were art works in design and every family who regularly played used to have their own brand name and design.

Today the high quality mahjong tile sets are made of animal bone which can be carved and polished to an extend that the result can easily measure up to to the ancient ivory tiles. More temporary sets are often made of plastic. The mahjong game has become so fashionable over time that also low-priced materials like plastic and resin were considered and processed. There is a drift, however to try to emulate the ancient designs as closely as possible. Some modern sets were developed with fresh unique designs which do not repeat the ancient tiles.

What all the mahjong sets have in common is the noise of clicking when the game is played. It reminds of sparrows clattering in the morning sun. The tiles as a rule have similar sizes, 1 and 1/2 inches long and 1 inch wide. Although most tile sets come with picture designs, the pictures can be different a lot. Most mahjong sets are stored in boxes of matching material as the tiles themselves or other like wood, metal and plastic. The boxes can be excessively ornamented or only plain functional. Today it is pretty much a question of
how much somebody wants to invest for the mahjong set which determines the selection of the set and the material. There are sets for every class and wallet.

Japanese Mahjong is a board game that has again become trendy international after the first international world tournament 2002.

I. Grzeskowiak lives near Stockholm, Sweden, where she works as an online marketer and writes about various topics. She also runs a website which helps people to start earning an income online. For more details on japanese mahjong sets visit:Original Japanese Mahjong Sets