ARNHEM - As from today, there’s another mahjong movie on YouTube - and a very special one, too. Mahjong News editor Martin Rep finally has finished his impression of the ‘Washizu in Holland Tournament’, which was held at Arnhem, the Netherlands, in July 2010.

Rep: “Of course I had intended to carry it through much earlier. Honest, I don’t know why it took so long. Let’s say that being the editor of Mahjong News is a busy job, next to all my other occupations. And then, last year the wife and I moved from Nijmegen to Bussum, a village not far from Amsterdam. A traumatic event, like any removal!”

Hype

Washizu Mahjong was a short hype in Rep’s mahjong activities. “Someone gave me some DVD’s with the manga’s of Akagi Shigeru. I was addicted from the moment I saw them. And I knew from the start: I want to organize a tournament with transparent mahjong tiles, like the ones that are used in the manga during a deadly game between Akagi and his enemy Washizu.”
The ‘Washizu in Holland’ Tournament took place at Arnhem, not far from Rep’s residence Nijmegen. 24 players accepted the challenge: they came from Germany, Holland and even from Turkey. The players had a lot of fun.
The next Washizu tournament was held the day after the Cherry Blossom Tournament at Nijmegen, April 2011, with 20 players. “Also these players had fun”, say Martin Rep. “Yet, I thought this would do - for now, that is. Washizu mahjong is fun, but its main problem is that gameplay goes too slow. Mahjong is the most fantastic game on earth, but only when it is played fast.
“It was a nice experience, and I do not doubt that one day, we will set up a new tournament”, Mr. Rep concludes. “On a special occasion, maybe. Or for demonstration purposes.”

Report of the Washizu in Holland Tournament 2010 at Arnhem