Japanese recruiters use gambling tournament to find prospects

Fifty Japanese graduates opted to gamble with their job prospects at a mahjong tournament set up by recruiters looking for a different way to find the next high flyer. Prospects competed against each other on June 24 to gain the chance to face recruiters from six companies in the fitness, education, technology and real estate sectors. Mahjong, which originated in China, is similar to the western card game, rummy, and players in Japan said the tile game required skill, strategy, calculation and a degree of chance. Eight students have advanced to the next round of the selection process.