Customer Reviews

Hanafuda Japanese Flower Cards #180072

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

FIRST, THE DARK HISTORY: Ever since the ancient days of Japan, refined games such as "Kai-Awase", "Hana-Awase", "Uta-Awase", "Ohgi-Awase", etc, were played by the people in the capital, however, in the 18th year of Tenmon (1549) when Saint Francisco Xavier arrived in Japan, the crew of the ship brought over a deck of cards from Europe and the card game became very popular among the people fond of singularity. In the 10th year of Kanei (1633) when the "Close Door Policy" was passed in Japan, the use of foreign cards was prohibited and although it was not known who started it, someone cleverly and deceptively re-invented the game and devised a card called "Unsun Karuta". The "Unsun Karuta" which is believed to be the present Hanafuda was of original designs depicting Chinese Warriors, dragons, spears, armor, etc., because during this period of National Isolation, anyone seen playing with a European deck of cards was branded as a follower of Christianity.

The original game of "Unsun Karuta" consisted of 75 cards, but as time went on, the game got reduced to 48 cards and this is what helped to popularize the game. From the later part of the Edo era through Meiwa, the Anei and the Tenmei era (1764-1788) a card game called "Mekuri Karuta" was the most popular game of the earlier known existence of "hanafuda", but during the Kanei era (1791) a law was passed to prohibit the "Mekuri Karuta" because the game was used for gambling.

"Hanafuda" kept getting re-invented with new face designs and various numbers of cards. It even once got reduced to just 40 cards and was called "Kabu Fuda." Since "Mekuri Karuta" was prohibited, people kept trying to redesign the game and keep it alive although the government continued to prohibit this card game that kept showing up, with different designs but was basically all just the same card game. Eventually, and it was during the Bunsei era through the Tempo era, that the persistent existence of some form of interpretation of this game finally took it's toll on the government ban and the general public strongly demanded a genuine Japanese type of card game such as the refined "Kai-Awase", or "Tori-Awase" of the Muromachi era be legalized and finally, "hanafuda" became the official Japanese card game that you know today.

SO, WHAT IS "HANAFUDA" AND HOW IS IT PLAYED? This game has also been refered to as "The game of Sakura." Be careful when you enter this world of "hanafuda". Once you've adopted many of the skills involved with keeping track of the cards to play and the ones yet to show up on the table, you will find this game very addictive. I learned of this game back about 25 years ago. It was introduced to me in the Air Force and was taught to me by these old Japanese Hawaiians that I worked with at Hickam AFB. During our 20-minute break times, and some Friday evenings after we cleaned up shop for the weekend, we would play in the break room for hours. I've played the game everyday for nearly two years. I brought about 10 brand new decks of the game with me to my next military assignment here in California. These cards ended up in a box of military memorabilia and haven't been played for many years. It was hard to suddenly realize that I wouldn't be playing this game much anymore. I introduced it to some of my friends but it just wasn't the same because I use to play it with the older Japanese Hawaiians who were extremely skilled at playing the game so I have yet to meet anyone who could match their talent. I was honored to play against them because they were the masters of the game at their level. Back then, it was like participating in a religious ritual where every card that came into play on the table represented a serious pivot point in the absolution of the outcome. No two games are ever alike. There was this incredible feeling of pride that stayed with me when I've played a game so well. The masters of "Hanafuda" were truly respected amongst their peers.

I finally got the game going again when my daughters were about 5 and 7 years old. I taught them the game. They loved it almost right away. Though we haven't played it for more than 10 years, it is wonderful to me that with all this new technology, and kids being on their cell phones and computers, they suddenly came to me and said that they want to play "hanafuda" again. They want to teach their friends to play as well. This is awesome! I am so proud that my girls want to keep this game alive. "Hanafuda" is becoming a way of life for me again. I hope that they will someday become equal to the masters that I've played against in Hawaii. I'm a little rusty still because I haven't played for so long, but I've got the ambition, and a strong desire to master the game again. So, now let me explain to you what "hanafuda" is all about:

LET'S GET STARTED: "Hanafuda" is played with 48 cards. It consists of all 12 months, four cards for each month. Each month has it's own flower or unique design, slightly altered based on it's point value. Each card has their own unique artwork with slight alterations of the face so that you will know of its particular value. Of the four cards per month, two of them will have point values, and two will have "no point value". Let's take January for instance. January is referred to as the Matsu. Two of the cards have no point value, of the other two, one has a 10 point value, and the other has a 20 point value. The Pine tree is on all four of the cards for January (Matsu). However, the 10 point card has a red stripe with Japanese print written across it. The 20 point card has a stork (bird). There will be cards in your hand, and there will be cards face up on the table. You can only take the January card on the table if you have a January card in your hand. Cards with no point value help you get the cards that have point value. You can use a "no point value" January card on the other "no point value" January card just to make it difficult for your opponent to play his January card he may have it in his hand. This will make it difficult for him to play his card so you can increase your chances of getting it if you feel that you need that card for yourself. Every month has cards where two cards have point value, and two do not. Some cards only have 5 point value, but they can still be quite valuable cards. Why? Because the main purpose of this game is to build what are called "yaku's." "Yaku's" are when you get three cards that belong together with established and incredible value when you have all three. There are eight probable "yaku's" that you and your opponent(s) will be trying to build against each other. Sure, you add up all your points when you just collect the cards, but when you build "yaku's", each "yaku" takes 50 points away from your opponent. The point of the game is to build "yaku's". You will know what "yaku's" your opponent is trying to build just as he knows which one's you're trying to build. Once you've taken a card to call your own, it is set beside you so that your opponent knows what other cards you need to build your particular "yaku's". His goal is to keep you from getting those specific cards that you need while he's trying to build his own "yaku's" that you will be keeping an eye on, as well.

Though there are many different ways to play hanafuda, I've learned to play it the way it's played by Japanese Hawaiians. The Korean interpretation of hanafuda is called "Koi-koi". I'm not too fond of how they play it. First of all, they play with the 5 and 10 point value cards reversed, and the pictorials and values of the November (Ame-Rain) and the December (Kiri-Paulownia) are reversed. Plus all the no point value cards are worth 1 point. I've even noticed that something has changed in the Japanese-Hawaiian way (according to some websites) that the 5 point November (Ame-Rain) card is now considered 20 points. And the 10 point December (Kiri-Paulownia) is now of no value. I prefer to stick to the original format that I learned from the masters in Hawaii.

HOW TO PLAY: This game can be played with 2 people, but it is most fun when you play with 4 people. Two sets of partners. So, let me describe how this game is played with 4 people.

The dealer distributes the cards face down. Everyone gets five cards to hold in their hand and then there are 8 cards laid out face up on the table. The rest of the cards are stacked up face down next to the 8 cards. The player that goes first takes a card from his hand and places it on a matching month card face up on the table. Then he takes a card from the stacked deck and hopes that it plays on a card face up on the table. If you have no card that matches anything on the table then you have to just let go of a card that you may not want and leave it as a face up card on the table. Same goes for the card you pulled off the stacked deck. If it doesn't match anything, then it just stays on the table face up. You then collect up all the cards that matched up and you keep the point cards beside you (or your partner), and discard the no point cards to a pile on the side. The next player does just what you did. He plays a card from his hand, and then a card from the deck. The next player after him is your partner. He plays his cards and whatever cards he earns for points, he adds it to your point cards. You and your partner will be working together to try and build your own "yaku's" and will work together to try to prevent your opponents from building "yaku's". You will have cards in your hand that you will know that your opponents need so you will want to play these cards carefully so your opponents don't get them. Building "yaku's" is the main intention of the game. All the cards combined totals 240 points. The goal of building "yaku's" is that with every "yaku" you have, your opponent loses 50 points from all their cards. If you and your partner manages to build (say) three "yaku's", your opponents lose 150 points. They may not even have 150 points with all their cards so you will send them further back in the hole when you keep score playing game after game. One good game may only take about 5 to 8 minutes to play. So you keep score and keep playing game after game. The cards of November and December only have point value. They play no role in establishing "yaku's.

And there is one other very special card that is in the deck. The "GAJI." It is the red November (Ame-Rain) card and it has no point value on its own. However, this card can be played on any card that shows up on the table. Usually, everyone is in a panic when the "GAJI" has yet to be played. If this card comes out on the table as a face up card in the beginning, then it is only playable to another November (Ame-Rain) card. And what's great about the GAJI, is that you can play it on a particular "no point value" card that is face up on the table and this will cause you to have the last card on the table at the end of the game because the remaining card won't have a card to play on. Plus you'll get the last November card as well.

Once you master this game, you can hold you head up high because being a master player at "hanafuda" is such a distinguished honor. This honor is even greater when you've taught many new players to share in the addiction of playing "hanafuda".

This game is okay to play with 3 or 5 players too where everyone plays for themselves. No partners. Building "yaku's" are extremely hard when there are more opponents, but when you do manage to get a "yaku" - it is so sweet! The intense odds against you makes the accomplishment so much more rewarding.

So, are you ready to get your family and friends into this ancient traditional Japanese card game? These cards come available in training decks also (with all the words printed all over the cards and their point values). The official master decks are actually "tiles" with no words. But, the master player already knows all their particular values. This kit you see above are two master decks. These cards are more readily available in Hawaii since it is still a popular Japanese Hawaiian card game. Or explore the internet more to see if you can get your hands on some simplified training decks of "hanafuda". Good luck and welcome to this exciting cerebral episode of Japanese culture.

Many of the reviewers here did not like the fact that this vendor's cards are not plastic. If people really want plastic (actually vinyl) hanafuda cards, they need to search for INDOOR OUTDOOR HANAFUDA CARDS. If they are looking for Nintendo Hanafuda Cards (which are not plastic, incidentally), they need to search for NINTENDO HANAFUDA CARDS.

I was disappointed that the cards I bought were made of a cardboard material. I've never seen them like this, they've always been made of a heavy plastic for durability. The cost was outrageous $30 for the end product. Very dissatisfied.

I'm a bit surprised at the earlier negative review about the cards being made of cardboard and not plastic.
This set is definitely not a modernized version, but rather a re-creation of the classic form of the card game.

My mother, who is Japanese, has a set of Hanafuda cards that is nearly 80 years old, made of cardboard, from her childhood.
That set is much loved and has passed the test of time, though not completely unscathed. I love that set, but don't want to play it because I feel it's too valuable (emotionally, anyway). I picked up this set, I'm very pleased with the quality, and I'm not scared to play with them!

this description is right on! It is the way I was taught by my Japanese Hawaiian mother. The small black cards are exactly right as well. But I wish he would've written out what cards exactly make up each of the 8 yakus. I only know the 6 tied to the ribbons. Still searching.

I bought these cards for my son's 15th birthday at his request. He loves the cards and the game "Go Stop."

The set initaly seemed nice. and then we opened it. It is a japanese government set of issued cards. There are two sets which seem to make it a good value, but the card are cheap cardboard and and paper vs. a quality plastic set. Also we were missing a card from one of the sets which make it totally usless. I would advise looking for a diffrent set for anyone seriously looking, but if high quality is not your thing then the set will do fine.Hanafuda Japanese Flower Cards #180072