The short answer: a wind indicator is a marker in Riichi (Japanese) mahjong that shows the current wind round and the dealer. It moves East, South, West, North as the game progresses. It matters because the round wind and seat wind affect which tiles score as Yakuhai. American and Chinese mahjong rotate the dealer verbally, without a marker.
Sit at a Riichi table and the first thing you’ll see is a small marker pointing at one player. That’s the wind indicator — simple, but it drives the rhythm, the scoring, and which tiles earn extra points.
How does a wind indicator work in Riichi mahjong?
The indicator has two jobs: the round and the dealer. Here’s how it moves.
- Start in East: the game opens with East as the round wind.
- Follow the dealer: the marker points at oya and moves clockwise when the dealer loses.
- Flip the round: once every player has dealt and the last dealer loses, East gives way to South.
- Play two winds: a standard game runs East and South; longer tournaments add West and North.
Why does the wind indicator matter for scoring?
- Yakuhai (1 han): a triplet of the round wind or your seat wind is a yaku.
- Seat winds: the dealer is East, then counterclockwise South, West, North — the arrow assigns them.
- Dealer bonus: the dealer plays for double points, so who is oya matters all game.
- Other variants: American mahjong and Chinese mahjong rotate the dealer each hand, no marker needed.
Wind rounds and seat winds are core Riichi rules — our how to play Riichi mahjong guide covers them in detail, and the how to play mahjong guide explains the basics. For the calmer side of the game, Turtle Mahjong is a free single-player version you can start right now.
Related Questions
What is the dealer called in Riichi mahjong?
The dealer is oya (親); the other three players are ko (子). Oya keeps their seat after a win, which is why a strong dealer can dominate. The wind indicator marks who is oya at all times.
How do wind tiles score in Riichi mahjong?
A triplet of the round wind or your seat wind counts as Yakuhai, worth 1 han. In the East round, an East triplet pays for everyone; a seat-wind triplet pays only the player holding it.
Does American mahjong use wind indicators?
No. American and Chinese mahjong don’t use a physical marker. The dealer rotates each hand, and winds matter only through the NMJL card’s hand patterns. No indicator needed.