Hanafuda

A typical setup of hanafuda for the game of Koi-Koi, on top a red zabuton with a peony pattern.
A typical setup with hanafuda for playing Koi-Koi

Hanafuda (Japanese: 花札, lit.'flower cards'[1][2]) are a type of Japanese playing cards. They are typically smaller than Western playing cards, only 5.4 by 3.2 cm, but thicker and stiffer,[3] and often with a pronounced curve. On the face of each card is a depiction of plants, tanzaku (短冊), animals, birds, or man-made objects.[4][5] One single card depicts a human. The back side is usually plain, without a pattern or design of any kind, and traditionally coloured either red or black. Hanafuda are used to play a variety of games including Koi-Koi and Hachi-Hachi.

  1. ^ McLeod, John. "Games played with Flower Cards". pagat.com. Archived from the original on August 6, 2018. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  2. ^ Pakarnian, John, "Game Boy: Glossary of Japanese Gambling Games", Metropolis, January 22, 2010, p. 15.
  3. ^ "Hanafuda | cards". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on September 6, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  4. ^ "映画「ちはやふる」の隠れた聖地!京都・大石天狗堂". ORICON NEWS. April 13, 2018. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  5. ^ "The Sloperama Hanafuda/Go-Stop Zone". www.sloperama.com. Archived from the original on April 1, 2021. Retrieved February 23, 2021.