Genzuki Tojiro Finishes Fourth in Nijitama Debut as Pro Takaharu Oi Wins Roulette Mahjong

NIJISANJI — Professional mahjong player Takaharu Oi won the 72nd episode of Nijitama, Nijisanji’s monthly mahjong variety show, on Tuesday with 55,100 points. Guest Genzuki Tojiro, appearing on the program for the first time, finished fourth with 5,200. Maimoto Keisuke placed second with 24,000 and Sorahoshi Kirame third with 15,700.

The show opened with the hosts feigning apology for how long the invitation had taken. They said the program had run for more than five years and hosted dozens of guests before it was ready to welcome Genzuki. The day’s rule was then unveiled as a welcome party for the guest. Before each hand a roulette picked one player, whose winning hand was worth double and who lost no points on any loss. If that player held under 20,000 points, the win was worth triple. A cut-in from the Jantama mascot, Jantama-kun, could change the roulette’s odds, and the first demonstration spin, which Genzuki ran, ended in an outsized display that made chat laugh.

“I had a great time, and I thought I’d like to play mahjong with everyone again.” — Genzuki Tojiro, at the close of the show

The first real spin landed on Kirame, which drew groans and jeers from the table. From there the players chased big hands. One hand produced no dora and no hidden dora at all, which the table called a first for them, and a long run of dealer repeats built up the pot on the table late in the game. On the final hand the roulette gave Kirame the triple multiplier, but the hosts called time not long afterward and Oi held the lead.

A running thread was the show’s lack of a theme song. The hosts noted that another Jantama program had recently received a song from a well-known composer, while Nijitama, the oldest of the official programs, had none. Genzuki said his answer depended on how the game went. After the results the hosts floated a plan in which he would write the song as the price of a return appearance, and he replied that he could not come back until it was finished. At the close, the question of a song was left for later talks through his manager.

Genzuki thanked the table at the end and said he now understood how hard Kirame has it as the show’s target. The hosts said the next Nijitama is planned for mid-November, with the date and guest to be announced.