More Hanafuda

I have mentioned a few hanafuda resources in passing while I built my deck, but I know that the words are the boringest parts of my posts. So here's a more straightforward selection of links if you would like to know more about the cards or the games.

The most comprehensive site I found was Andy's Playing Cards (no relation). Click on "other pages in this gallery" to see cards from different eras and special editions. The other most useful resource for me was Tom Sloper's Hanafuda-rama. I enjoyed this page for the beautiful cards on display that may have inspired the design of the first hanafuda decks around 1820. You can also follow their links to order cards online.

Probably the best rules page I found for Hanafuda games is here. You can find all sorts of rules and variations if you look around, but I've tried a few others and this makes the most sense. Plus, it's the most fun variation that I've played. It's almost the same way that Koi-Koi works in this Japanese flash game! That's a great way to learn the game, since you can even see how the deal is done. Playing this version first would probably be really useful to understanding what is supposed to happen. Be careful not to get your plums and sakura mixed up!