About Hanafuda
Hanafuda is a Japanese traditional card game.
It is a braingame by reaching a deduction what cards the opponent has or which combo the opponent wants to make, making the stronger combo than he.
The twelve suits represent months and each suit has four cards symbolizing the month.
Each card is given 1/5/10/20 points and players try to get high points combining some cards.
Here we can see Japanese COOL pictures and the traditional nature-views of Japanese from them, not only the plants in the season but the combination of a plant and an animal. The motif of hanafuda pictures is often used in various things even today.
| January Pine – Matsu |  20pt | 5pt | 1pt | 1pt |
| February Plum – Ume | 10pt | 5pt | 1pt | 1pt |
| March Cherry – Sakura | 20pt | 5pt | 1pt | 1pt |
| April Wisteria – Fuji | 10pt | 5pt | 1pt | 1pt |
| May Iris – Syobu | 10pt | 5pt | 1pt | 1pt |
| June Peony – Botan | 10pt | 5pt | 1pt | 1pt |
| July Bush Clover – Hagi | 10pt | 5pt | 1pt | 1pt |
| August Japanese Pampas Grass – Susuki | 20pt | 10pt | 1pt | 1pt |
| September Chrysanthemum – Kiku | 10pt | 5pt | 1pt | 1pt |
| October Maple – Momiji | 10pt | 5pt | 1pt | 1pt |
| November Willow (Rain) – Yanagi | 20pt | 10pt | 5pt | 1pt |
| December Paulownia – Kiri | 20pt | 1pt | 1pt | 1pt |
How to Play Hanafuda
There are some ways of playing, and the following is a typical rule.
Basically, 2-4 players compete on the higher score by forming special card combinations.
1. First, the initial dealer called “Oya” (means “the parent”) is decided. Players draw a card, and who draws the earliest month card is to be the dealer. More casually, rolling a dice or the rock-paper-scissors can be OK.
2. The dealer deals total eight cards to his opponent(s) lying on their face, 8 cards facing up on the table, and to himself facing down. This is usually done four (or two) cards at a time.
3. The dealer begins the game with putting any one card in his hand on the table which is matched to any of the cards on the table, and gains those two cards aligning them facing up in front of him.
If he doesn’t have any card matching those on the table, he discards one and puts it facing up. It’s his choice which one he discards.
4. Draw one card from the draw pile. If the card matches any card on the table, he can get both of them. But if not, he must put the card facing up on the table.
5. Players take turns at these steps.
6. Who forms a combination first(A) wins, but he can continue the game aiming more combinations (“koi-koi”). In this case, the game is over when another player(B) forms a combination faster than A’s second combo.
7. If any player doesn’t make any combo, the game is draw. The dealer gains points (usulally 6 points, but it’s various) and the role of the dealer alternates.
Combo
How many points you can get for each combination and differs from place to place, so the following is what is consiered to be standard.
Some people play with other combinations.
Goko
20pt
Complete all five 20-point cards.
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Shiko
10pt
Four 20-point cards without the 20-point-card of the Willow.
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Ame-shiko
7pt
Combination of the Rainman (“Yanagi ni Ono no Michikaze/Toufuu”, the Willow’s 20-point card) and any three 20-point cards.
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Sanko
5pt
Combination of any three 20-point cards excluding the Rainman (the Willow’s 20-point card).
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Hanami-zake (sakura and a cup)
5pt
Combination of the Cherry’s 20-point card and the Chrysanthemum & a cup card.
* There is another rule that if you have the Rainman card, the combo is voided.
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Tsukimi-zake (the full moon and a cup)
5pt
Combination of the Pampas Grass’s 20-point card and the Chrysanthemum & a cup card.
* There is another rule that if you have the Rainman card, the combo is voided.
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Inoshikacho ( The Boar, the Deer, and the Butterfly)
5pt
“Ino-shika-cho” is the initial charactars of “Inoshishi” (boar), “Shika” (deer) and “Cho” (butterfly).
There is no overlap with “Tane”.
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Aka-tan (red strips with writing on them)
6pt
The three cards that include a red strip which the charactars are written on.
There is no overlap with “Tan”.
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Ao-tan (blue strips)
6pt
All cards that include a blue strip.
There is no overlap with “Tan”.
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Tan
1pt
Combination of any five cards with a strip.
1 point is added for every additional card.
(e.c. when you get six cards with a strip, you can be awarded 2 points. when seven cards, 3 points.)
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Tane
1pt
When you have any five 10-point cards.
And 1 point is added for every additional card.
(e.c. when you get six 10-point cards, you can be awarded 2 points. when seven cards, 3 points.)
There is anotherway in which the Chrysanthemum card is excluded.
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Kusa (plants)
The card with a strip of the Wisteria, the Iris and the Bush Clover.
There is no overlap with “Tan”.
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Kasu
1pt
Cards other than those above which only plants are emblazoned on.
Combination of any ten 1-point cards. 1 point is added for every additional card.
(e.c. when you get eleven 1-point cards, you can be awarded 2 points. when twelve cards, 3 points.)
About Hanafuda / How to play Hanafuda / Combo
Hi! I’m an enthusiastic Kimono consultant, the manager of Project Japan. Beyond work, I love kimonos, relaxing in onsens, exploring music, and traveling. When it comes to food, I have a soft spot for traditional Japanese cuisine and enjoy Japanese sake, wine, whiskey, and coffee.
As a web and video producer, I keep up with the latest in tech.
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