Hanafuda A Beautiful Card Game from Japan

Hanafuda was developed in Japan after the introduction of Western playing cards over 350 years ago. A Hanafuda deck consists of 48 cards divided into 12 suits of 4 cards each. Each suit is named after one of the twelve months of the year and each has its appropriate flower in major and minor cards. The major cards are quite beautiful, the minor ones of plainer design. When you see a whole pack spread out the effect is quite stunningly beautiful (see photo).

The cards are smaller than Western playing cards and are made either of heavy card or plastic. The better quality cards are made of card and paper while cheaper versions are made of plastic. The card and paper decks are much more beautiful to look at and to handle. On the other hand the cheap plastic decks are very hard-wearing.

The Hanafuda decks on offer here come complete with rules in Japanese. If you are not sure how to play you can find an English-language explanation of the rules on this site:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanafuda

Napoleon Hanafuda Deck by Nintendo Click here to view the deck. $35.00 (plus S&H) Choose the colour of the card backs. No PreferenceBlackRed Ochre	When I first arrived in Japan I associated Hanafuda with ladies in kimonos - and it was the ladies who taught me how to play. But the cards are also used by the Yakuza (Japanese mafia) in gambling games... Hanafuda cards are both beautiful and delicate, and yet also tough and risky - so only play if you dare!! This famous Nintendo deck with the bust of Napoleon on the top of the box is the premier set on the market today. The cards are made to a high standard out of card and paper and are packed in an impressive, hardwearing plastic storage box. This item will be shipped from Japan by Express Mail Service.
Miyako No Hana Hanafuda Deck by Nintendo Click here to view the deck. $14.50 (plus S&H) Choose the colour of the card backs. No PreferenceBlackRed Ochre	The delicate "Miyako No Hana" set on offer here is made of card and paper and comes in a plastic storage box. The back of the cards are either a classic black or a restrained red ochre, according to your preference. This is a beautiful set and one of the most commonly used sets in Japan.
Vinyl Hanafuda Cards Click here to view the deck. $6.50 (plus S&H)	This is a neat and economical set of vinyl Hanafuda cards. Unlike Western playing cards, Hanafuda cards are stiff so vinyl is a popular and economical alternative to the more expensive paper and card sets. The cards in this set are bright and cheerful to the eye with a smooth upper surface. They come in a plastic storage tray, complete with an illustrated black and white scoring chart.
No-Frills Economy Deck Click here to view the deck. $5.00 (plus S&H)	Here is an economically priced set of Hanafuda cards. The full colour card designs are printed directly onto the card. The deck comes in a colourful card box and includes a set of rules in Japanese with illustrations for two different games: 88 no Asobi Koi Koi no Asobi.
Ultraman Hanafuda Deck by Bandai Click here to view the deck. $25.00 (plus S&H)	Here is a Hanafuda set with a difference! ULTRAMAN HANAFUDA!! Check out the cards and you will see that the traditional pictures are all represented BUT each one also features Ultraman or something connected to him... The set comes complete with a full colour chart and explanation in Japanese and is packed in an attractively illustrated presentation box (see photo). A fine set for Ultraman collectors and Hanafuda players, but not widely available outside of Japan... (until now!)...
Hanafuda-style Playing Cards Now Back in Stock!!! Click here to view the deck. $4.50 (plus S&H)	This is a set of playing cards with a unique twist: it combines western playing card features with Hanafuda designs in a single set! Full set of 54 playing cards, complete with plastic storage box.

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