This is a list of known hanafuda games, arranged alphabetically and with links to those games for which we can provide rules or enough details to warrant their own pages.
There are 3 major families to which hanafuda games tend to belong:
- Fishing (or “Capture”) games are those such as Koi-Koi and Hachi-Hachi whose main gameplay mechanism revolves around playing cards from one’s hand to capture cards of the same suit on the field.
- Showdown games involve players comparing their hands to determine the winner, and include as a subcategory Banking games such as Oicho-Kabu in which each player competes against the bank rather than one another, usually with gambling intent.
- Sequence games are those which depend upon players playing their cards to the field in a particular order, generally based upon one of the traditional suit arrangements, often with a goal of emptying one’s hand before one’s opponents.
Other families of card games are described here.
These games are relatively widely known, and quite frequently show up in rule books and video games.
| Game |
Players |
Family |
Origin |
| Go-Stop, a.k.a. Godori |
2-3 per round, max 7 per game |
Fishing |
Korea |
| Hachi-Hachi (“Eighty-Eight”), a.k.a. Yokohama-Bana |
2-3 per round, max 7 per game |
Fishing |
Yokohama, Japan |
| Hana-Awase (“Matching Flowers”) |
2-4 |
Fishing |
Japan |
| Koi-Koi |
usually 2 |
Fishing |
Disputed |
| Mushi, a.k.a. Ochi |
2 per round, max 4 per game |
Fishing |
Osaka, Japan |
| Oicho-Kabu, a.k.a. Kaho or Katori |
2-10 |
Banking |
Japan |
| Roppyakken, a.k.a. Roppyakkuken or Roppyakuten |
2-3 |
Fishing |
Japan |
| Sakura, a.k.a. Higo-Bana or Hawaiian Hanafuda |
2-7 |
Fishing |
Higo Province, Japan |
These games, while not as widespread today as those listed above, are variously attested and referenced in some rule books, video games, or other historical documents.
| Game |
Players |
Family |
Origin |
| Akita-Bana |
- |
Fishing |
Akita, Japan |
| Ayame Katsugi |
3 |
Fishing |
Japan |
| Bakabana |
4 |
Fishing |
Ohama District, Usuki City, Oita Prefecture, Japan |
| Bakappana (“Foolish Flowers”) |
2-4 |
Fishing |
Japan |
| Batta |
- |
- |
Japan |
| Batta Maki, a.k.a. Shoniban or Atosaki |
2+ |
Banking |
Japan |
| Bizen-Bana |
- |
Fishing |
Bizen Province, Japan |
| Chunchun |
3 per round, max 7 per game |
Fishing |
San’yō region, Japan |
| Echigo-Bana |
- |
Fishing |
Echigo Province, Japan |
| Echobo |
2+ |
Banking |
Japan |
| Enshu-Bana |
2-3 |
Fishing |
Tōtōmi Province, Japan |
| Gomai Kabu |
8 |
Showdown |
Japan |
| Hachi (Eight) |
2 |
Fishing |
Japan |
| Hachi-Jū-Hana |
2-3 |
Fishing |
Japan |
| Hiki-Kabu |
2-10 |
Showdown |
Japan |
| Hiyoko (“Chick”) |
2-4 |
Sequence |
Japan |
| Hon-Bana |
3 |
Fishing |
Nagoya region, Japan |
| Hyaku-Otoshi |
3 |
Fishing |
Japan |
| Ichi-Ni-San (“One-Two-Three”) |
3 |
Fishing |
Japan |
| Ino-Shika-Chō |
2+ |
Banking |
Japan |
| Isuri |
2-3 |
Sequence |
Japan |
| Issoku Yuki |
2 |
Fishing |
Japan |
| Jū-Mai (“Ten Cards”) |
2 |
Fishing |
Japan |
| Kachi-Kachi |
- |
- |
- |
| Kaga |
2 |
Fishing |
Kaga Province, Japan |
| Kekoro |
Fishing |
2 |
- |
| Kingo |
2-10 |
Showdown |
- |
| Koi-Koi no Ato-Saki |
2+ |
Showdown(?) |
Japan |
| Kyo-Kabu |
2-10 |
Banking |
Japan |
| Kyū-Rei Hana |
3 per round, max 7 per game |
Fishing |
San’yō region, Japan |
| Matsu-Kiri-Bōzu |
2 |
Fishing |
Japan |
| Min-Hwatu |
2-6 |
Fishing |
Korea |
| Nana-Tan (“Seven Scrolls”) |
2 |
Fishing |
Japan |
| Nanbu-Bana |
- |
Fishing |
Nanbu (which?), Japan |
| Ni-Shi-Roku (“Two-Four-Six”) |
3 |
Fishing |
Japan |
| Nuki Hachi-Hachi |
2-4 |
Fishing |
Japan |
| Oni Koi-Koi |
2 |
Fishing |
Gifu, Japan |
| Oto-Roku |
5-6 |
Showdown |
Tōkai region, Japan |
| Poka |
2 |
Sequence |
- |
| Roku-Tan (“Six Scrolls”) |
2 |
Fishing |
Japan |
| Roku-Wari |
2+ |
Showdown |
Tōkai region, Japan |
| Saburokku (“Three-Six-Nine”), a.k.a. Bakananatan (Seven Stupid Scrolls) |
3 |
Fishing |
Japan |
| San-Jū Tsuppari (Thirty Palm Thrust) |
3 |
Fishing |
Japan |
| Sanuki Mekuri |
2 |
Fishing |
Sanuki Province, Japan |
| San-Zoku Go-Jū (Three Bunches and Fifty) |
3 |
Fishing |
Japan |
| San-Zoku Tsuppari (Three Bunches Palm Thrust) |
3 |
Fishing |
Japan |
| Sashikomi |
2 |
Showdown |
Japan |
| Sendai-Hana |
3 |
Fishing |
Sendai, Japan |
| Sen-Roku-Jū (“One Thousand Sixty”), a.k.a. Maebashi-Hana |
3 |
Fishing |
Maebashi, Japan |
| Seotda |
2-10 |
Showdown |
Korea |
| Shippin (“Four-Ace”) |
2+ |
Showdown |
Japan |
| Sudaoshi, a.k.a. Taoshi or Moto Taoshi |
3 per round, max 7 per game |
Fishing |
Japan |
| Suhara-Bana |
- |
- |
- |
| Sutda |
2-10 |
Showdown |
- |
| Takame |
2+ |
Showdown |
Japan |
| Tehonbiki |
2+ |
Banking |
Japan |
| Tensho |
2 |
Fishing |
Nagoya region, Japan |
| Tokotoko |
2 |
Showdown |
Nagoya region, Japan |
| Towashi |
- |
- |
- |
| Yamayaku |
2 |
Fishing |
Japan |
| Yatchaba |
4-6 |
- |
- |
| Yaku-Bana |
- |
- |
- |
| Yamagata-Bana |
- |
Fishing |
Yamagata, Japan |
This is a list of contemporary creations to be played with a hanafuda deck. It is subdivided by game creator, which are alphabetized by last name when available.
¶ K.K. Corner and R. Whitbeck
| Game |
Players |
Family |
| Kwa-Dō |
2-6 |
Fishing |
| Game |
Players |
Family |
| Gardening |
2 |
Draw and Discard |
| Game |
Players |
Family |
| Hachi (Simplified) |
2 |
Fishing |
| Hana-Gin |
2 |
Draw and Discard |
| Hana-Rumi |
2-4 |
Draw and Discard |
| Hiyoko (Simplified) |
2-4 |
Sequence |
| Isuri (Simplified) |
2-3 |
Sequence |
| Kage |
2 |
Sequence |
| Orochi |
2-4 |
Sequence |
| Simplified Game for Beginners |
2-4 |
Fishing |
| Sutda (Simplified) |
2-10 |
Showdown |
| Tensho (Simplified) |
2 |
Fishing |
| Game |
Players |
Family |
| Bozu-Mekuri |
- |
- |
| Dobutsu-Asobi |
- |
- |
| Fuda-Awase |
- |
- |
| Fuda-Narabe |
- |
- |
| Fuda-Okoshi |
- |
- |
| Fuda-Soroe |
- |
- |
| Fuda-Tsukami |
- |
- |
| Kyuten-Tori |
- |
- |
| Oni-Nuki |
- |
- |
| Tsuki-Ate |
- |
- |
| Zei-kan |
- |
- |
| Game |
Players |
Family |
| Hanapette |
2 |
Speed and Sequence |
| Game |
Players |
Family |
| Pin K |
Presumably 2-10 |
Showdown |
| Game |
Players |
Family |
| Mekuri-Kabu (Turning Up Nine) |
2-10 |
Showdown |
| Oni-Mawashi (Demon’s Belt) |
3, 4, or 6 |
Card Passing |
| Tsuki-Narabe (Month Arrangement) |
3-4 |
Draw and Discard |
| Yon-San (Four-Three) |
3 |
Commerce |
- Aihondo. “Game List.” Aihondo Hanafuda, https://sites.google.com/site/hanafudasupport/gamelist.
- Johnson, Jason, and Antonietta Fazio-Johnson. Hanafuda Games, Hanami ed., IndianWolf Studios, 2017.
- Shiono, Suehiko. Teikei Aru Hanzai No Chōsa. Shihōshō Chōsaka, 1921, National Diet Library, dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/1878761.
- Tobaku Ni Kansuru chōsa. vol. 121, Shihōshō Chōsaka, 1927, National Diet Library, dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/1269696.
- “Bakabana”, https://web.archive.org/web/20040810024856/http://homepage3.nifty.com/noguta/karuta/usuki.html