Descriptions:
On September 16, Sendai City’s Aoba Ward hosted a mahjong lesson for elementary and high school students, where participants were introduced to mahjong under the guidance of professional mahjong players. This is the second time since last month that the event has been held to introduce children to mahjong, which is often seen as a game for adults. On the 16th, 23 elementary, middle and high school students from Miyagi Prefecture took part, divided into beginner and advanced mahjong players, and received instructions from professional mahjong players. Recommendation from a professional mahjong player: “You can try to line up north, south, east and west, but the tiles are difficult to stick together.” It seemed that the beginning children had difficulty coping with the complex rules at first, but then… “No, little by little I learned to play, and I liked to play. Participating children said, “It’s hard when you can’t get the tiles even if you try to match them.” “It’s fun because it feels good when you finally get the tiles.” Yuta Chida, representative arts director of Ground Tohoku, the general joint association that held the event, said, “Through mahjong, you can learn to please other people.” I hope they can care for others and develop a sense of respect for others. The organization behind the event hopes to continue offering mahjong classes to children on a regular basis.