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According to [MyAnimeList](http://myanimelist.net/anime/5671/Saki) (see
Producers section),
[AnimeNewsNetwork](http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/company.php?id=10302),
[CrunchyRoll](http://www.crunchyroll.com/saki/more), and a number of less
reputable sites, an organization called "Kiyosumi High School Mahjong Club"
took part in the production of the Saki anime. For anyone not familiar with
Saki, it follows the Mahjong club from Kiyosumi high school as they compete to
be the best in the nation. The websites listed all included "Kiyosumi High
School Mahjong Club" under production, which is unusual for in-universe
organizations.

First, can anyone confirm that this is legitimate and not just an elaborate
trolling attempt (e.g. by screencapping the credits)? And if so, what does the
organization do? Is it a real high school mahjong club which was used as
inspiration for Saki, or were they involved in some aspect of the production
process, or were they just thrown in as a sort of shout-out, or something
else?


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question
anime-production saki
Is "Kiyosumi High School Mahjong Club" from Saki a real-life organization?


"Kiyosumi High School Mahjong Club" is the name on the production committee
(製作, seisaku) for the series:

![Kiyosumi High School Mahjong Club](https://i.stack.imgur.com/BmSpR.png)


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It's not too uncommon for anime production committees to be named after
something in the show. In Saki's case, it is named after the high school where
the show takes place. This does not mean that a real life group from the
school (if it even is a real school or club at said school) has anything to do
with the creation of the show.

Essentially, the production committee is the rightholder to the series rather
than a person or group who had a hand in creating the series (Source: [a JETRO
pdf about the anime
industry](http://www.jetro.org/trends/market_info_anime.pdf), specifically
page 4). It can consist of all the companies involved in an anime - the
animation studio, TV channel, merchandise creators - who want to see the show
succeed because it will benefit them (Source: [an ANN feature about the anime
industry](http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2012-03-05)).

Rather than list all of these companies, it is easier to give them one name,
and arguably more entertaining to the viewers if it references something in
the series. When the production committee isn't named after something in the
series, it is usually just called "Series Name Production Committee" - in your
case, it would've been called "Saki Production Committee".

Here are examples from a few other shows:

![Seitokai Yakuindomo credit screenshot](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rsJsF.png)
Seitokai Yakuindomo: Ousai Academy Student Council Room  
(the show is about Ousai Academy's student council)

![Steins;Gate credit screenshot](https://i.stack.imgur.com/s19wU.png)
Steins;Gate: Future Gadget Lab  
(the show is about a some eccentrics and scientists who are part of a group
called Future Gadget Lab)

![Tamako Market credit screenshot](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Ovjdf.png) Tamako
Market: Usagiyama Shopping District  
(the show is about the people working and living in Usagiyama Shopping
District)


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