Hanafuda Rules

Hanafuda or “flower cards” is a traditional Japanese card game. It is played by 2 players who are 8 years old or over. The goal is to obtain the highest score possible by matching cards from the same suit and forming combinations called “yaku”.

Contents

• 48 cards divided into 12 suits
  • A suit represents a month of the Japanese calendar
• 1 suit corresponds to a floral theme and has 4 cards.
  

What You Need to Play

• 1 deck of 48 hanafuda cards
• 2 players
  

Object of the Game

• Score as many points as possible during the different rounds.
• To score a point, the player must collect cards and form combinations (match cards of a suit or form a yaku).
  

Setup

• Each player draws a card.
• Whoever draws the card corresponding to the first month of the calendar plays first.
• Determine a number of rounds to play.
• Shuffle the cards again.
• Deal cards 2 to the 2 players until each player has 8 cards in hand or until 8 cards are placed face up on the table.
• Important note: if 4 of the cards placed on the table belong to the same suit, the cards must be redealt.
• If a player has 4 cards from the same suit or 4 pairs of cards from different suits in their hand, they earn 6 points and the round is over.
  

Course of the Game

A round takes place over 3 stages.

Step 1: Make a pair with a card from the hand and a card from the table

• Make a pair with 1 card from your hand and 1 card from the table.
• Put the card from your hand on the card of the same suit.
• Form a four-of-a-kind with 1 card from your hand and 3 cards of the same suit from the table.
• If no combination can be created, discard any card from your hand onto the table.
  

The Cards

Month	Name of the suit	Illustration	The cards	The points
January	Pine		Crane and sunPoetry tanzakuPlainPlain	20 5 1 1
February	Plum blossom		Bush warblerPoetry tanzakuPlainPlain	10 5 1 1
March	Cherry blossom		CurtainPoetry tanzakuPlainPlain	20511
April	Wisteria		CuckooPlain tanzakuPlainPlain	10511
May	Iris		Eight-plank bridgePlain tanzakuPlainPlain	10511
June	Peony		ButterfliesBlue tanzakuPlainPlain	10511
July	Bush clover		BoarPlain tanzakuPlainPlain	10511
August	Susuki grass		Full moonGeesePlainPlain	201011
September	Chrysanthemum		Sake cupBlue tanzakuPlainPlain	10511
October	Maple		DeerBlue tanzakuPlain Plain	10511
November	Willow		Ono no MichikazeSwallowPlain tanzakuLightning	201051
December	Paulownia		Chinese phoenixPlain PlainPlain	20111

Step 2: draw and make a new combination

• Draw a card.
• Proceed as before to form a combination. 

Step 3: collect the combinations and make a yaku

• Collect the combinations you have created.
• If you are not able to form a yaku, the turn passes to the next player.
• If you can form a yaku you have the possibility to:

• End the round and count the points. (This can be done by announcing “shoubu.”)
• Continue and form new yaku by announcing “koi-koi”.
  

Different Types of Yaku

Yaku	Illustration	Points earned	Number and type of cards	Additional points
Kasu		1 point	10 Plain cards	1 point per additional card
Tan		1 point	5 tanzaku cards	1 point per additional card
Akatan		5 points	3 poetry tanzaku cards	1 point per additional card
Aotan		5 points	3 blue tanzaku cards	1 point per additional card
Akatan aotan no choufuku		10 points	3 poetry tanzaku cards and3 blue tanzaku cards	1 point per additional card
Tane		1 point	5 cards worth 10 points each	1 point per additional card
Inoshikachou		5 points	Boar, deer and butterflies	1 point per additional card
Tsukimi from ippai		5 points	Full moon cards and sake cup	1 point per additional card
Hanami from ippai		5 points	Curtain cards and sake cup	1 point per additional card
Sankou		5 points	3 cards of 20 points	1 point per additional card
Ame shikou		7 points	4 cards of 20 points with the Ono no Michikaze card	1 point per additional card
Shikou		8 points	4 cards of 20 points without the Ono no Michikaze card	1 point per additional
Gokou		10 points	5 cards of 20 points	1 point per additional card

Multiplying the Points

• If you score more than 7 points, your score is doubled.
• If you score points after your opponent has announced “koi-koi”, your score is doubled.
• If you score more than 7 points after your opponent has announced “koi-koi”, your score is quadrupled.
  

End of the Game

At the end of the rounds, the player who has scored the most points is declared the winner.