Actress Hinako Sano Makes a Shock Debut in M.League: “I’d Rather Be Called a ‘Mahjong Little Devil’ Than a ‘Death Note’”

“When I put on the uniform for the first time, I didn’t have some big realization like, ‘I’m an M-Leaguer now.’ Instead, I was thinking, ‘The M League season is about to begin, and I’m going to play in matches, too.’ That was more how I felt.

Even when I passed the professional mahjong player exam in 2024, it took me some time to really feel like a pro. In my first year as a professional, I got crushed in the league matches. It was only when I had a good season the following year in 2025 and was promoted to the next higher league that I finally felt like I had become a professional.

So, thinking about it that way, maybe it’ll be when I take first place for the first time in an M League match that I’ll finally feel like an M-Leaguer. I’m hoping that’s what happens.”

The expression on actress and professional mahjong player Hinako Sano’s, 31, face was a mixture of bewilderment and excitement.

“Chiaki calls me ‘Sensei'”

On September 14, the 2026–27 season of M League, Japan’s professional mahjong league, got underway. Sano is competing as a member of SEGA SAMMY Phoenix. With her exceptional name recognition, she has been attracting considerable attention.

Sano appears as her team’s representative in the key visual for the 2026–27 season released by the M League organization. Despite being a rookie, she looks almost like the face of the team. Sano had this to say about appearing in the visual:

“One player from each team appears in the key visual, and I take it as meaning that they used this year’s visual to introduce the rookie players. Some people have said, ‘I’m not used to seeing her there,’ but I feel the same way myself (laughs). I hope people will enjoy the freshness of it.

I don’t think any of my teammates are unhappy about it, either. Everyone on our team is pretty reserved. They’re the type of people who say, ‘I’m fine, you go ahead, ●●-san.’ In fact, everyone has been too considerate of one another when it comes to deciding who will play in the opening match, so it still hasn’t been decided.”

Sano joined SEGA SAMMY Phoenix after being selected by the team at the M League 2026–27 Season Draft held on June 25. Although fans are well aware that Sano is a professional mahjong player, she has only been a professional for a short time and has never won a title, making her selection a surprise pick that generated considerable buzz.

“I first heard from them toward the end of May. It was something vague, along the lines of, ‘How would you feel if you had the opportunity to become an M-Leaguer?’ It was more like they were checking my intentions, so I never thought, ‘I’m going to join SEGA SAMMY Phoenix!’

Then, on May 28, it was announced that professional player Takaki Asai, 40, who was a member of SEGA SAMMY Phoenix at the time, would be leaving the team when his contract expired, and I was really surprised. From there, we gradually worked out the details of my joining the team. I always wondered, ‘Is it really okay for someone as inexperienced as me to take Takaki-san’s place?’”

However, once Sano’s signing was finalized, she reportedly received an outpouring of support from both the mahjong and entertainment industries.

“My seniors at the Professional Mahjong Association, where I belong, encouraged me by saying, ‘Practice a lot and do your best.’ I also had an opportunity to meet Takaki-san, and he directly encouraged me, saying, ‘Good luck.’ I thought he was a kind person with a big heart.

Kana Nakada, 32, a talent and member of the M League team BEAST X, also told me, ‘I’m happy that someone I’m close to has joined M League.’ We didn’t have any connection through the entertainment industry, but we became friends when I visited the mahjong café she owns.

Outside of the professional mahjong world, I also received a message from the talent Chiaki, 54, who was happy for me. She wanted to learn how to play mahjong before, so I taught her, and she calls me ‘Sensei.’”

Sano is currently training intensely for M League. However, she says that she was originally just an ordinary M League fan—in other words, a watching mahjong fan. So why did she decide to pursue a career as a professional mahjong player?

To prove her love of Mahjong

“I started learning mahjong because of the anime ‘Saki,’ which was based on a mahjong manga. After M League was established in 2018, I became a fan of M League and really got into mahjong. I openly told people around me that I was a mahjong fan, too.”

She says there were two main reasons why she decided to pursue becoming a professional.

“When I say, ‘I love mahjong,’ quite a few people respond with something like, ‘Does mahjong make money?’ I’m attracted to the competitive nature of mahjong, but it seems that the perception of mahjong as gambling remains deeply rooted in society. I started feeling frustrated by that gap. I thought that if I obtained a professional qualification and entered the world of competitive mahjong, people might understand that I genuinely love mahjong.

The other reason was that I wanted to challenge myself and see how far I could go as a professional. Competitive mahjong has multiple levels of leagues, and you get promoted when you win and relegated when you lose, so your ability is clearly visible. Acting and gravure modeling aren’t about who is stronger or weaker; they’re about what kind of work you create. I found the world of competition, which is completely different from that, very appealing.”

M League, which Sano is now taking on, is both a world of competition and entertainment. However, there was one uniquely troublesome issue she had to deal with as an M-Leaguer.

“It’s the nickname (catchphrase). Every M-Leaguer has a nickname, such as ‘The Genius Female Mahjong Player’ or ‘The Lone Seeker.’ There’s no rule saying you have to have one, but it’s become an unspoken convention. So I decided to come up with one for myself, too.

Nicknames are often given to professionals who have won titles or achieved notable results, but I don’t have any such accomplishments. I came up with some candidates by bouncing ideas off AI and consulting my teammates, and in the end I decided on ‘Mahjong Little Devil.’”

There was also the practical consideration that the name would work well as an illustration and be convenient for merchandise. But the inspiration behind it came from that signature role of hers.

“People in the mahjong world often tell me, ‘Your best-known work is ‘Death Note,’ right?’ I appeared in the television drama ‘Death Note’ (Nippon TV) more than 10 years ago, but I’m happy that it has remained part of my public image. The character I played, Misa Amane, was a cunning, little-devil type of girl. I decided to make use of that image and came up with a simple, easy-to-remember nickname.”

With her nickname settled, all that remained was to take to the table.

Sano’s new team, SEGA SAMMY Phoenix, won its first championship in the 2024–25 season, but finished fifth overall the following 2025–26 season. In the 2026–27 season, the team is aiming to reclaim the title.

“The atmosphere within the team is really good. Hiroshi Daigo, 50, and Genta Takeuchi, 40, have been teaching me mahjong since before I became a professional. After I joined the team, I’ve also been learning a lot from Hayaka Kayamori, 44, who is both a player and the team’s manager. She’s like a straightforward, dependable older sister, so she’s easy to talk to, and I feel very comfortable around her.”

Immediately after being selected by SEGA SAMMY Phoenix, Sano said “I was trembling, wondering if I could really handle it.” We asked her about her goal for the 2026–27 season.

“Honestly, I’m still trembling (laughs). I’ve scheduled plenty of practice sessions and study sessions, so I don’t think I’m lacking in preparation, but the opponents I’ll be facing are top professionals who have spent many years honing their skills.

My goal for the 2026–27 season is, first of all, to win one match. Some people might think that’s a small goal, but as a viewer, I’ve watched top professionals struggle because they couldn’t even manage to get one win. I know it won’t be easy.

I want to play my own style of mahjong without becoming lost or wavering, and make sure I show what I can do. I’m putting in the practice so that I can contribute to the team, so I’d be happy if people would support me.”

From “Death Note” to “Mahjong Little Devil”—M-Leaguer Hinako Sano’s battle begins.