台湾の新政党「麻雀最大党」　マージャンの復権目指す

【高雄ＡＦＰ＝時事】「超高齢化」社会に向かって突き進んでいる台湾に、少々風変わりな政党が登場した。「マージャン復権」を党是とする政党だ。（写真は台湾・高雄市の雀荘で写真撮影に応じる「麻雀最大党」創設者の郭璽氏）
　中国で数百年前に生まれたとされるマージャンは、台湾のとりわけ高齢者の間で人気がある。だが長く続いた戒厳令時代の影響により、法的には微妙な位置付けとなってきた。台湾ではマージャンをプレーすること自体に問題はないが、公共の場での賭博は禁止されている。
　そうした中で台湾の組織犯罪グループは長年、資金稼ぎの一手段として違法な賭けマージャンを主催してきた。その影響で、雀荘（じゃんそう）はしばしば警察の強制捜査や調査の対象となってきたのだ。
　このような状況を変えようと、南部・高雄市にある雀荘のオーナー、郭璽氏（６５）は一歩踏み出し、賭けマージャンの合法化を目標に掲げる「麻雀最大党」を立ち上げた。
　この政党の狙いは、マージャンが「合法的な娯楽」として認定され、賭けマージャンや賞金の授受が許可されるようになることだ。
　「賭けをしようと思えば、ジャンケンにだって賭けることはできます。なぜマージャンばかりがギャンブルというレッテル貼りをされるのでしょうか」と郭氏。
　「ゴルフやテニス、バドミントンだって、どんな競技にも賞金や賞品はあります。それがあるからこそ、競技者は肉体的・精神的に自分を磨くためにベストを尽くすのです」
　麻雀最大党の党員だという主婦、エイミー・フアンさん（６２）は「隠れずに堂々とマージャンをプレーできる日が待ち遠しいです」と話す。
　フアンさんにマージャンを教えてくれた義母は、友人らと賭けマージャンをしたために警察署に連行されたことがあると話し、「ばかげています」と一蹴した。
　党首の郭氏は、台湾の政界で存在感を示すことができるようになるのは、まだずっと先のことだと思っている。昨年の結成以降これまでの党員数は１２０人だが、それでも年内に１万人の登録もあり得ると「楽観的」だ。

■高齢化社会の支え
　雀荘のオーナーである郭氏には経営上、賭けマージャンの許可を求める強い動機がある。だが同時に、それは人のためにもなると思っている。マージャンの位置付けをはっきりさせることで、高齢者がもっと社交的で幸せな生活を送るのに役立つと信じているのだ。
　現在、台湾の人口２３５０万人のうち、１７％近くが６５歳以上だ。
　「台湾は高齢化社会が進んでいますが、とりわけ地方へ行くほど、家でテレビを見ているだけの高齢者が増えています」と郭氏は言う。
　「同年代同士で集まって、おしゃべりしながらマージャンを楽しめれば、生活の質も向上し幸せになるでしょう。マージャンは高齢者のためになるんです」【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2022/12/27-11:54）

As Taiwan hurtles towards becoming a super-aged society, a new political party has emerged with an unusual and somewhat singular platform -- making mahjong great again.
The centuries-old Chinese tile game is popular in Taiwan, especially among the elderly, but thanks to a quirk of legal history from the island's martial law era, it inhabits something of a grey space.
While playing mahjong is legal, the game is treated with suspicion by authorities as gambling in public places is prohibited.
Organised crime groups have long maintained a lucrative side hustle by hosting illegal betting matches, while gaming parlours, both legitimate businesses and more shady ones, often find themselves raided or inspected by police.
Step forward Kuo Hsi, the 65-year-old owner of a parlour in the southern city of Kaohsiung who has decided it is high time to allow betting on mahjong games and has launched a new political party to achieve that goal.
The niche Mahjong the Greatest party wants the game declared a legitimate recreation and for gambling and prize money to be allowed.
Let's be frank. You can put a bet on anything if you want to gamble. Even rock, paper, scissors. Why do we insist on branding mahjong as a form of gambling? he told AFP from his parlour, the unmistakable clatter of mahjong tiles creating a hypnotic soundtrack.
Any form of competition, gaming, golf, tennis, badminton, they all have some form of prize in the end. They all do. When there are prizes, competitors will do their best to train themselves physically and mentally. Mahjong playing is exactly the same, he added.
- 'Ridiculous' -
Max Chang, 31, a gaming consultant who has been playing mahjong with his family since he was young, is among the party's first members.
I identify very much with Kuo's ideals. As a young man who plays mahjong frequently, I am always wary about people calling the police on us, he told AFP.
Echoing that sentiment, 62-year-old housewife and party member Amy Huang said: I look forward to playing mahjong openly and not having to hide.
Huang said her mother-in-law, who taught her how to play, was taken to a police station once for betting in a game with friends, an incident she described as ridiculous.
Kuo knows he has some way to go to break into Taiwan's political mainstream.
The current membership of the Mahjong the Greatest party -- which was founded last month -- is 120 people, but he is optimistic that he can get 10,000 registered party members by the end of this year.
Kuo has applied to authorities to register the party and is hopeful that it will be approved soon.
He aims to get enough political momentum going to secure a referendum next year to amend the law.
Taiwan's vibrant democratic system allows for regular referendums to decide key decisions.
On November 26, Taiwan holds local elections and one of the referendum questions on the ballot is whether to lower the voting age from 20 to 18.
Kuo also hopes to secure at least one lawmaker-at-large seat in 2024 when Taiwan will elect a new president and parliament.
- Ageing society -
As a parlour owner, Kuo has strong business reasons to see mahjong gambling allowed and regulated.
But he also has a more altruistic goal, believing that bringing mahjong out of the grey space will help Taiwan's elderly live happier, more sociable lives.
Nearly 17 percent of Taiwan's 23.5 million-strong population is over 65.
The island is projected to join Japan and reach super-aged status in 2025 when that proportion reaches 20 percent.
Taiwan is an ageing society with more and more senior citizens, especially in remote areas, and they mostly stay at home watching TV, Kuo said.
If they can get together with people of their age to play mahjong, to chat with others, it will help improve their quality of life and bring happiness. This is a good activity for them.