National org · Japanese Riichi
American Riichi Association
Also called ARA
Online / USA national. Official pages fetched on 2026-08-23 do not print a street address.
Category: National org · Japanese Riichi Also called: ARA Last checked: 2026-08-23
What it is
The American Riichi Association (ARA) is the US national board for Japanese Riichi mahjong — club support, tournament certification, and World Riichi Championship (WRC) player selection. It is not American Mah Jongg and it does not issue an NMJL card.
Who it’s for
Riichi players and club organizers who need a national Discord, a club/event portal, sanctioned tournaments, or the USA WRC path — not American-card players.
Why it’s listed
This is the national find-play org for Riichi in the United States. It is a different slot from the National Mah Jongg League.
- Homepage (https://nariichi.org): “the board for riichi mahjong in the United States of America.” Stated work: certify and issue guidance for clubs hosting tournaments; support and offer resources for clubs aiming to start up or grow; manage the USA player selection process for the World Riichi Championship (WRC). Public Discord invite on the same page.
- Club / event portal is linked from the official site as ARA Community Portal (https://portal.nariichi.org/) and, under Tournaments, Upcoming Tournaments (https://portal.nariichi.org/events). The portal fetched on 2026-08-23 listed US clubs and a calendar of 2026 events, some marked “ARA Certified.”
- Tournament Certification page (https://www.nariichi.org/tournament-certification): ARA-certified events are reviewed at monthly board meetings so competitors get a consistent experience. Guidelines cover announcement lead time, referees, venue, equipment, and professional-grade rulesets (WRC, M-League, Saikouisen, JPML, and others). “These guidelines are not affiliated with any other organizations or events.”
- WRC 2028 Qualification page (https://www.nariichi.org/wrc-2028-qualification): two-tier path — Open Qualifiers, then the ARA Invitational 2028. The invitational is tentatively 15–17 January 2028. News dated 12 May 2026 (“Where Will We Play? Apply to Host the ARA Invitational 2028!”) asks clubs to host that invitational as the final USA qualifier for WRC 2028.
- On 2026-08-23 the homepage “Upcoming Meetings” widget had no items. An “Upcoming Events” block and a news list were present (January 2026 newsletter dated 8 February 2026; 2025 recap dated 15 December 2025).
Official URL
Community portal: https://portal.nariichi.org/
Upcoming tournaments (linked from the official menu): https://portal.nariichi.org/events
Location
Online / USA national. Official pages fetched on 2026-08-23 do not print a street address.
Notes
- Japanese Riichi only. Not American Mah Jongg, not solitaire, not a Kansas City club.
- Include as a national find-play org. Club list and event calendar live on the linked portal.
- Not affiliated with Mahjong Plaza.
FAQ
Q: Is this American Mah Jongg (the NMJL card)?
A: No. The homepage calls ARA “the board for riichi mahjong in the United States of America.” It is Japanese Riichi, not the American card.
Q: Where do I find clubs and upcoming tournaments?
A: The official site links the ARA Community Portal at https://portal.nariichi.org/ and Upcoming Tournaments at https://portal.nariichi.org/events. The homepage also has a public Discord invite.
Q: Does ARA pick the USA World Riichi Championship team?
A: Yes. The homepage says ARA manages USA player selection for the WRC. The WRC 2028 page describes Open Qualifiers plus the ARA Invitational 2028 (tentatively 15–17 January 2028).