Hajihai (Terminal Tiles) - The 1 and 9 Number Tiles

What is Hajihai?

Hajihai (terminal tiles) refers to the 1 and 9 tiles of the number suits (manzu, pinzu, souzu). As the name suggests, they sit at the “edge” of each suit. Also called “Routouhai” (老頭牌), they’re harder to use than middle tiles (2-8) but relatively safe for defense.

Terminals can’t be used in Tanyao but are essential for Chanta, Junchan, Honroutou, and similar hands.

Terminal Tile Types

Suit	Tile	Reading	Count
Manzu	1-man	Ii-wan	4
Manzu	9-man	Kyuu-wan	4
Pinzu	1-pin	Ii-pin	4
Pinzu	9-pin	Kyuu-pin	4
Souzu	1-sou	Ii-sou	4
Souzu	9-sou	Kyuu-sou	4

Terminal vs Simple Tiles

Feature	Terminals (1/9)	Simples (2-8)
Sequence direction	One way only	Both ways
Safety level	Relatively high	Situational
Tanyao	Cannot use	Can use
Special hands	Required for many	Not needed

Strategic Value

Offensive Value

Hand	Necessity	Usage
Chanta	Required	All melds and pair
Junchan	Required	All melds and pair
Honroutou	Required	Terminals + honors only
Chinroutou	Required	Terminals only
Kokushi	Required	One of each

Defensive Value

Why relatively safe:

Limited sequences
- Only 123 or 789
- Limited waits
Often discarded early
- Becomes unnecessary
- Appears in early game
Tanyao players don’t need them
- Many people discard
- Low demand

Early Game Handling

Starting hand decisions:
1. Tanyao-type → Cut terminals early
2. Chanta-type → Keep terminals carefully
3. Normal hand → Cut isolated terminals first

Mid-to-Late Game Handling

Situation	Terminal Handling	Reason
You’re tenpai	Cut if unneeded	Offense priority
Opponent riichis	Be careful with non-genbutsu	Safety first
Folding	Use terminals	Relatively safe

Safety Assessment

Suji Theory

If 1 is discarded → 4 is relatively safe (1-4-7 suji)
If 9 is discarded → 6 is relatively safe (3-6-9 suji)

However:
- Not effective vs ryanmen
- Don't over-rely

Live Terminal Danger

Situation	Danger	Reason
Early live	Low	Not used yet
Mid-game live	Medium	Being kept for reason
Late live	High	Possible wait

Hands Using Terminals

Chanta (Mixed Outside Hand)

Requirements:
- All melds contain terminal or honor
- Pair is terminal or honor

Example: 123m 789p 111s EEE 99m

Junchan (Pure Outside Hand)

Requirements:
- All melds contain terminal (no honors)
- Pair is terminal

Example: 123m 789m 123p 789p 11s

Reading from Discards

Early terminal discards
- Likely tanyao-type
- Middle tiles dangerous
Keeping terminals
- Possible chanta-type
- Possible flush hand
Pair drop
- Dropping terminal pairs
- Sequence-based hand

Special Terminal Shapes

Pure Terminal Wait

Penchan examples:
Hand: 12m waiting → 3m wait
Hand: 89p waiting → 7p wait

Terminal Triplet Value

Situation	Value	Usage
Early game	Low	Consider toitoi
Chanta-type	High	Keep carefully
No yakuhai	Mixed	Situational

Common Mistakes

Over-trusting safety
- Live tiles are dangerous
- Read the situation
Cutting too early
- Chanta potential
- May need later
Confusing with honors
- Terminals are numbers only
- Honors are separate
Safety misconception
- Not absolutely safe
- Beware of riichi

Statistics

General Tendencies

Discard order: Average 3rd-5th
Final usage rate: ~40%
Tanyao hands: ~20% of deals
Chanta hands: ~5% of deals

Routouhai: Another name for terminals
Yaochuu-hai: Terminals + honors
Chunchan-hai: Simple tiles (2-8)
Tanyao: Hand without terminals
Chanta: Hand using terminals

Summary

Hajihai (terminals) refers to the 1 and 9 number tiles. While harder to use than simple tiles, they’re relatively safe for defense. Cannot be used in Tanyao but essential for Chanta-type hands. Beginners should remember “1 and 9 are terminals, relatively safe” and use them balancing offense and defense. Mastering terminal handling improves both your attacking and defending skills.