The M.League finally kicks off on September 14th, 2026!

Now in its ninth season, we asked Ken Sonoda, a member of Akasaka Drivens, and Soichiro Suzuki, the team's public relations manager, to talk about the M.League once again. This is a three-part series.

Part 1 focuses on recent changes in the mahjong industry, mahjong professionals, and what the M.League truly is and what makes it so amazing.

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【Mahjong Pro's Serious Research for Improving Your Game】
M.League Akasaka Drivens mahjong pro Ken Sonoda and the team's public relations manager, Soichiro Suzuki, seriously share information on "how to become a stronger mahjong player." We aim to deliver content that focuses on enjoying the "thinking process" rather than just the conclusion. Mahjong is more interesting than you think!

■ Sonoken Official X
Twitter: sonoken_channel

■ Ken Sonoda
Twitter: sonodaken

■ Soichiro Suzuki
Twitter: tsukunenn

■ For business inquiries / Youtube project planning, PR, etc. consultations, please contact us here:
https://forms.gle/5hf4kzCuK1WCbJjKA

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#KenSonoda #MLeague #Mahjong #AkasakaDrivens #Sonoken

00:00:00 - Opening
00:02:12 - Mahjong games have evolved, haven't they?
00:04:26 - High school students reach national tournament as a club activity
00:05:30 - Sponsors for mahjong organizations
00:06:28 - How do you even become a pro?
00:09:38 - Can you make a living as a mahjong pro?

00:11:41 - What's so great about professional mahjong players?
00:15:09 - M League Introduction
00:17:40 - What's so great about the M League: The prize money for winning is amazing!
00:19:23 - What's so great about the M League: Team competition
00:20:00 - What's so great about the M League: Red tile rule
00:20:29 - What's so great about the M League: You can see every detail
00:21:58 - What's so great about the M League: The screen is easy to see
00:22:54 - What's so great about the M League: Actors, models, and shogi players also participate
00:23:33 - What's so great about the M League: Review broadcasts by the pros themselves
00:25:11 - M League opens on September 14th (Monday)
00:26:01 - Next episode preview