You're probably using a mat, rug, or desk as your playing surface. That works, but understanding your options helps you make the right investment when you're ready to upgrade.
1. DIY mahjong tables (dimensions, size)
Building your own table saves money.
Here's what matters:
If you're playing Japanese riichi mahjong, I'd recommend a surface of 90x90 cm at most. Include borders (margins) with no more than 1 or 2 cm of height.
This border will allow you to sort and arrange your tiles with ease.
Mahjong table ideal dimensions
I recommend a size of 90 cm2 for self-made mahjong tables.
This size guarantees that you'll be able to play both Chinese and Japanese mahjong without fighting for space or going too wide.
If your tiles are small and your group's arms are short, or your chairs are low and you can't extend your arms far, you can go for 85cm or down to 80cm. If the tiles are huge, you can try going up to 1m square.
Mahjong table materials
Wood and felt. Don't skip the felt; bare wood is deafeningly loud and damages tiles.
Do not skip the soft cloth on the playing area. The sound of tiles slamming on wood will be so loud the game becomes unplayable. You'll also risk ruining the table.
Placing felt on top of a glass table is not recommended.
Wood and felt are your best friends.
You don't need to spend a fortune on the soft cloth felt. Consider that you will have to change it every now and then. These wear down.
Check out how Jackie Chin engineered and built this homemade mahjong table, complete with drawers for point sticks:
2. Mahjong mats and mahjong rugs
Mats are the next best thing to a dedicated table.
Unfold on any flat surface and you're ready to play.
Without a table underneath, a mat won't help much.
There's plenty of square furniture you can purchase in combination with your mat. Make sure they're at least 90 cm2, or you risk your mat not fitting on top.
If you play Chinese Mahjong with Chinese tiles, there's a good chance your tiles are too big for the mat. If that's what you use to play, skip this option.
Otherwise, mahjong mats like these offer excellent value. They're both portable and cheap.
I recommend sticking to one of the two following mats:
The cheaper option:
GAMELAND Anti Slip and Noise Reduction Rubber Foam Mahjong Mat
Made from 3mm thick natural rubber foam. Protects your table from the friction and impact of mahjong tiles while playing. Enhances your experience by reducing tile noise as you shuffle and place them on the table.
The reliable option:
Mahjong mat junk mat (japan import)
The standard choice among mahjong players. Use this mahjong mat to play your favorite game anywhere.
Mahjong Club Chuuren Potos in France played their finals on a Junk Mat like the above.
3. Folding mahjong tables (with drawers)
Purpose-built for mahjong.
You can get cheap folding mahjong tables made mostly of plastic (and cloth felt). This makes them lighter, so shipping will be cheaper too.
Folding mahjong table with drawers
You can find plenty of these online with cheap shipping because of their light weight.
I like the following table because while it is light, inexpensive, and portable, it is also surprisingly durable (check the hinges on the folding part). You can see at all times the points other players are holding, and play other games besides mahjong with it.
Flash Furniture 34.5" Square 4-Player Folding Card Game Table with Green Playing Surface and Cup Holders
Whether you're hosting poker night with friends or an epic board game tournament with the family, this folding game table has you covered. Gray powder coated locking legs hold up to 220 lb. static load capacity. Overall Size: 34.5"W x 34.5"D x 29"H
4. Semi-automatic mahjong tables
Also called partially automatic tables.
These tables will flip (mostly) all your tiles face down and shuffle them. You need magnetic tiles with the table for this to work.
It's only a small aid since you still have to build the wall by hand.
It still works as a mahjong table and is nice to have. Check it in action:
Scary, isn't it?
Automatic mahjong tables: which is the best?
They're also called self-sorting mahjong tables or "electric mahjong tables."
If you've wondered how an automatic mahjong table works:
As you can see in the video, automatic mahjong tables use two mahjong tile sets at once so they can shuffle a second set while you play.
The backs of both tilesets are painted in different colors to prevent both mistakes and cheating.
After you finish a hand, push all the tiles into the central hole. A newly built set of walls will rise up ready to play.
The technology employed by these tables makes them one of the most expensive choices out there. They can be noisy. They do save considerable time building the wall.
These tiles are also magnetic. You need to purchase tiles compatible with the table. These tables include tiles when you purchase them, but this matters if you lose or break some tiles.
Let's cover what types of tables exist, then their merits and demerits.
Home automatic tables
These are automatic tables meant to be used at home.
Their light weight, cheaper entry price, and ease of installation makes them the perfect choice for house games.
Some are designed to be as silent as possible.
If you're in Japan, AMOS JP II is an excellent model to order. It can be lowered to the ground and is super silent.
Amos JP II
These are only available in Japan.
If you're in the US and you'd like a decent table that's easy to assemble, you prefer tiles that include an index, and you prefer variations other than riichi (like American mahjong, Chinese, or Philippine styles), the following table could work for you:
40mm Numbered Tiles Ultra Thin Unfoldable Automatic Mahjong Table with Wheels - Chinese Philippine and American Mahjong Style , 1 Year Warranty
Ultra thin design, thinner than regular tables. High quality auto mahjong table comes with 2 sets of 39mm(height) x 28mm(length) x 20mm(width) standard size magnetic tiles, 144 tiles (1 Blue and 1 Green) plus 2 sets of jokers for American Mahjong.
Professional mahjong tables
They're different from your usual self-sorting mahjong tables because they can also keep scores.
They rely on IC technology or magnetism to count players' points.
On top of that, most can tell you the score differences between players.
The score function is indispensable for professional matches. Many professional mahjong players feel uncomfortable playing on a table with no score display.
By professional organization standards, you still need to count your point sticks and state your actual points in the final hand to prevent mistakes and miscounts.
Professional mahjong table scoring
Commercial mahjong tables
They're like professional mahjong tables except they have extra functions ideal for mahjong parlors.
They can calculate money payments, deal initial hands, and even reveal Dora tiles for Japanese mahjong.
Any big mahjong parlor chain will use these tables.
Should I get an automatic mahjong table? Which one should I get?
Automatic mahjong tables are fantastic because you save time on wall building and get to play more games.
They also save you wall building fatigue, shoulder and finger strain, and they're a headache-saver when teaching someone new to the game.
But before you rush and order a table or two, keep the following in mind:
- Mahjong auto-dealers are noisy. If you have sensitive neighbors, get a folding table instead.
- Automatic tables require daily maintenance. If you'll use them once a month and they'll gather dust in a corner, choose a semi-auto table instead.
- If they malfunction, it can be difficult to fix them. If you buy online from a local importer, they can probably help. If you decide to import the table yourself, you'll be on your own if the table breaks down or you need replacement parts.
- If you decide to import, customs regulations and shipping fees (especially by courier services) are likely to take a big hit on your pocket.
If you still think you can manage and you prefer riichi mahjong tiles, you can grab the following mahjong table from a USA importer on Amazon (saving you the pain of having to import yourself):
Japanese Style Automatic Mahjong Table Magnetic 28mm Mini Size Riichi Mahjong Tiles with 2 Sets of Japanese Tiles + One Year Warranty Easy Assembly in 30mins
1 Year Warranty included and in USA. Magnetic Japanese Mahjong Set with 148 cream white/blue melamine mini tiles to replace ones in your existing set or mix and match with a case. Measure each one is Length 21mm x Width 16mm x Height 28mm. Comes with 36 characters, 36 bamboos, 36 circles, 12 dragons(green, red, white), 4 flowers, 16 winds (N,E,S,W), 8 red fives. Special version for automatic mahjong table use.
Novelty LCD mahjong table
This is an absolute novelty. It replaces ordinary tiles with LCD screens. It went viral on social media for its elegance, though it's probably impractical.
The biggest table dealers in Japan
Matsuoka (CEO) is famous in West Japan as the owner of the nifty URL mahjong.co.jp
He owns "MATSUOKA", a company that distributes mahjong goods for mahjong parlors and classrooms in Japan. If you get a table from them, the guarantee will hold.
In East Japan, SASAKI is a well-known brand. They've been around for practically forever and can be found at sasaki-mj.co.jp/
If you're set on getting a table in Japan, contact me and I could connect you with them.
Rounding up
There are many different types of mahjong tables for all sorts of purposes and tastes.
It would be impossible to list or rank them all. If you want a personal recommendation from a professional player in Japan, drop me a message with your current situation and I'll figure out which one fits your needs best.
What table do you like the best? Let me know.
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