Rio Tojo Back in M-League — “I Want to Win Against Former Teammate Chimori for Those Who Were Let Go”

Behind the Surprise Selection

“It’s been nearly two months since I joined BEAST X, but I still can’t quite feel it. The same thing happened when I first joined an M-League team four years ago. I truly felt like part of the team only after finishing my first official match and being welcomed back in the locker room by my teammates and staff.

So, I think the moment I’ll genuinely realize, ‘I’ve joined this team,’ will be when the season opens in September, I finish a game, and return to the locker room. I’m already looking forward to that moment.”

Rio Tōjō (34), a professional mahjong player who has made a shocking comeback to the M-League with BEAST X, spoke with calm composure.

As the M-League “2025–26 Season” is set to open on September 15, players are fine-tuning their preparations. On the day Friday Digital interviewed Tōjō, BEAST X was participating in a special “Intensive Study Session” organized by the BS network BS10, featuring three M-League teams: BEAST X, EX Fūrin Kazan, and EARTH JETS. The session was recorded on August 20, 27, and September 3, and will be broadcast on BS10 at 18:00.

“Although the study session will act as a practice match, this will be my first time playing as a BEAST X team member in a game,” Tōjō said.

While this is his first match representing BEAST X, it is not his first as an M-League player. Perhaps that’s why he shows no signs of nervousness.

Rio Tōjō joined the Sega Sammy Phoenix in 2021 and became an M-League player.

He played actively for three seasons—2021–22, 2022–23, and 2023–24—but in June of last year, Sega Sammy Phoenix released him. During the 2024–25 season, held from September last year to May this year, Tōjō did not participate.

On June 30, at the M-League Draft, Tōjō was selected by BEAST X, marking his return to the league. Since M-League’s launch in 2018, 17 players have left their teams. Only two of them have returned to the league, but both were acquired by different teams during the draft in the year they left, so it was more like a transfer.

However, Tōjō is the first player to return after a break of more than one season, making his selection a true “surprise pick.” Tōjō shared:

“Actually, around April or May, someone from BEAST X told me I was on the draft candidate list. It had only been a year since I left Sega Sammy Phoenix, and I hadn’t won any major titles after leaving, so being considered even as a candidate felt like a miracle.

At that point, though, it was still just ‘consideration.’ I told myself not to get my hopes up. Rumors spread insanely fast in the mahjong world, so I kept it to myself and stayed low-key.

It seems that worked, because after the draft, I received so many messages saying ‘We’re surprised!’ I’m glad I could deliver a real surprise to the fans. Later, when I watched the draft footage, I couldn’t help laughing when I saw Takeshi Koshiyama (52), the manager of Akasaka Drivens, eyes wide in shock.”

On June 24, six days before the draft, Tōjō released his first photo essay, Sai: in which he expressed his desire to return to the M-League—making this re-start all the more meaningful.

The emptiness of not being in that circle

The upcoming 2025-26 season will see the entry of EARTH JETS, bringing the M-League to a record ten teams competing for the title. Among them, the reigning champions Sega Sammy Phoenix, who won their first title in the 2024-25 season, stand as a formidable wall—Eastjo’s former team.

Eastjo, who passed the professional exam in 2010, won her first title in 2021, and earned the nickname “Miss Perfect” for her combination of skill and beauty. That same year, she joined Sega Sammy Phoenix.

In her first M-League season (2021-22), Sega Sammy Phoenix achieved their best-ever result, finishing as runners-up. Eastjo contributed points throughout the regular season, semi-final series, and final series. However, the team’s performance declined afterward.

In both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, the team ranked last in the league. Following team restructuring, Eastjo departed, and Sega Sammy Phoenix went on to achieve their long-awaited first championship in the 2024-25 season—without her.

Reflecting on her former team’s victory, Eastjo said:

“For me, Sega Sammy Phoenix has always felt like family. I had hoped to celebrate their championship and lift Seiji Kondo, the fatherly figure of the team, into the air myself. Watching him being lifted on screen, I thought of all the players and staff. I felt genuinely happy for them.

At the same time, I felt the emptiness and sadness of not being part of that circle. It was a mixture of joy and sorrow, about half and half.”

Her new team, BEAST X, has yet to see strong results. In their first season (2023-24) and the following season (2024-25), they failed to advance past the regular season. They have never reached the semi-final series, which features the top six teams, nor the final series for the top four.

BEAST X acquired two players in the latest draft: Rio Tojo and Geki Shimoishi (38). For the 2025-26 season, the team will compete with four members: Tojo, Shimoishi, Daisuke Suzuki (51), and Kana Nakata (31).

“Our team goal is to reach the semi-final series. To achieve that, I must bring back plus points. But M-League is a team sport, so creating an atmosphere where teammates get along is also important.

As for impressions of my teammates: Nakata is incredibly cute—just seeing her in my field of vision is a treat, and I’m thrilled to be on the same team. I initially thought Daisuke-san would be strict and intimidating, but he’s actually a funny uncle-type once you talk to him.

Shimoishi-san also frequently adds little jokes, another funny uncle. As I respond with detailed comebacks, fans have commented that our team has a great atmosphere. The ‘Rio & Geki duo’ is starting to take shape, so we plan to continue our ‘manzai-style’ banter (laughs).”

Being a returning player carries its own feelings. Tojo continues:

“I feel that players released from M-League are often underrated. People like Kondo-san and Yuumin (Yuumi Uotani, 39) from Sega Sammy Phoenix are genuinely strong at mahjong. There are also players like Asapin (Yasushin Asakura, 39) and Basshi (Nobuyasu Ishibashi, 44) from U-NEXT Pirates, and Murakami (Jun, 50) and Maru-chan (Kanako Maruyama, 32) from Akasaka Drivens—there’s no end to listing strong players. If I, as a returning player, produce results, it will also raise their evaluation. That’s another reason I want to give my all.”

When asked which player she most wants to face, she mentioned a familiar team:

“Saika Chihamori (43), my former teammate who became a player-coach for Sega Sammy Phoenix in June. I’ve played against her outside M-League, but I really want to face her on the M-League stage. That’s one of the things I’m looking forward to in the 2025-26 season.”

From “Phoenix” to “Beast,” Miss Perfect’s rebirth promises a new drama—something to eagerly anticipate.