Chrysanthemum [菊, kiku] is the name of a suit in traditional hanafuda decks. It is generally taken to be the ninth suit, representing the month of September [9月, kugatsu] or the number 9.
The cards in this suit all feature variegated yellow and red or orange chrysanthemum flowers. There are two Chaff cards, one Blue Ribbon, and one Animal. The Animal card of the Chrysanthemum suit features a red Sake Cup [盃, sakazuki] inscribed with a character meaning “longevity” [寿, kotobuki].
¶ Cards
¶ Sake Cup
Chrysanthemum with Sake Cup [菊に盃, kiku ni sakazuki], or simply Sake Cup or Cup, is the Animal card of the Chrysanthemum suit.
In the game of Koi-Koi, many popular variants include a rule where the Sake Cup counts as an Animal card and a Chaff card at the same time. Similarly, in the closely-related Korean game of Go-Stop, players must typically choose whether to count the card as an Animal card or as two Chaff cards.
¶ Blue Ribbon
Chrysanthemum with Blue Ribbon [菊に青短, kiku ni aotan] is the Ribbon card of the Chrysanthemum suit, and one of the three Blue Ribbons.
The Chrysanthemum Ribbon combines with the Peony Ribbon and Maple Ribbon in a large number of games to form the yaku called “Blue Ribbons.”
¶ Chaff
The Chrysanthemum suit, like most, has two Chaff cards.
¶ Bibliography
- Ōishi Tengudō, “花札の謎シリーズ ！９月札『菊に盃』,” blog post, September 2013.
- Rin & Char, “各月に描かれた絵柄の意味,” りんとちゃーの花しらべ, blog post, September 2019.
- Hanafuda Hawaii, “Symbols and Motifs in Hanafuda,” March 2025.