Hanafuda

What is Hanafuda?

Hanafuda are playing cards from Japan, each about 5.4 by 3.2 centimeters, thicker and stiffer than Western cards. Each card shows a flower, plant, or seasonal scene, with twelve suits representing the months of the year. The cards are often brightly colored, with some showing animals, birds, or objects. The back is plain, usually red or black. The set contains 48 cards, four per suit, and sometimes includes a blank spare card.

Where does Hanafuda come from?

Playing cards came to Japan from Portugal in the 16th century. Early Japanese decks copied the Portuguese style, but after foreign cards were banned, new designs emerged to avoid government restrictions. Over time, these evolved into hanafuda, with abstract flower motifs and twelve suits for the months. The cards were often disguised as poem cards to bypass bans on gambling. Hanafuda became widely accepted in the Meiji period, and companies like Nintendo began producing them in the late 19th century.

How Hanafuda is made

A hanafuda deck has 48 cards, grouped into twelve suits, each linked to a flower and month. Each suit has four cards, with some cards featuring tanzaku (paper strips), animals, or objects. Cards are typically made from stiff cardboard or plastic and are decorated with vivid images. In Korea, hwatu decks are made of plastic and may include joker cards. The cards are used for a variety of games, with rules and point values that can change by region or game.

When and where Hanafuda is used

Hanafuda cards are used for traditional games, the most well-known being Koi-Koi in Japan. In Korea, hwatu cards are used for games like Go-stop, especially during holidays such as Lunar New Year and Chuseok. In Hawaii and Micronesia, local versions of hanafuda games are played. The cards are part of family gatherings, festivals, and sometimes gambling, though today they are mainly for recreation.

Forms of Hanafuda

Korean hwatu decks differ from Japanese hanafuda, with plastic cards, textured backs, and some suits switched. Korean decks often have joker cards and local imagery. Modern Japanese decks may feature popular characters or themes. Some decks combine hanafuda with Western playing cards, adding extra suits or indices. Regional patterns and designs have developed over centuries, reflecting local tastes and history.

What Hanafuda means

Hanafuda cards are a symbol of Japanese culture and seasonal beauty, with each suit representing a month and its flower. They reflect a history of adaptation to social rules and have inspired art and design. The cards are still made by traditional companies and are recognized in Unicode as a flower playing card emoji. In Korea, hwatu cards are a staple of holiday celebrations.

The flowers of Hanafuda

ChrysanthemumAutumn-blooming flower with thousands of varieties, cherished in East Asia and beyondIrisA large group of perennial flowers with striking, six-lobed bloomsPeonyLarge spring flowers in pink, red, white, yellow and purple, grown in gardens worldwideIris damascenaA rare white and purple iris found only on a Syrian mountainCoastal IrisA dark-flowered iris native to Israel’s coastal plainsGerman irisA tall, rhizome-rooted iris with showy bearded blooms in many coloursIris florentinaA white, violet-scented iris grown for orris root and as a grave flowerGiant blue irisTall blue-flowered iris native to the wetlands of the southern United States

Questions people ask about Hanafuda

Good reading and sources

• Encyclopaedia BritannicaArticle

• Hanafuda on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
• Wikidata recordOpen data