Most Westerners are unfamiliar with this Japanese card game. Hanafuda was developed in Japan after the introduction of Western playing cards over 350 years ago. Instead of the usual Jack, Queen, King configuration of cards, the Japanese developed a 48-card deck consisting of 12 suits, each of which has 4 cards. The twelve suits represent the 12 months, and each month features a flower or plant that is in season for that month. This reflects the Japanese sensitivity to the passing of the seasons. Another difference is that the cards are smaller than Western playing cards and are made of a heavy card stock.
It is basically a matching game in it's simplest form. You attempt to match cards in your hand with those of the same suit in the discard area. After you master the basic game, then you can try more complex forms in which you try to assemble special hands, similar to poker or mah jongg.
This is a really fun game, and it's cool factor is increased due to the fact that this game is traditionally associated with the Yakuza. Try it out and show off your tough side."
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