ElegantMedia Games cardsHanafuda (花札) are playing cards of Japanese origin, used to play a number of games. The name literally translates as ‘flower cards’.
There are twelve suits, representing months. Each is designated a flower, and each suit has four cards. Typically, there are two ‘normal’ cards worth one point, one poetry ribbon card worth five points, and a final special card worth ten or twenty points. The point values could be considered unnecessary and arbitrary, as the most popular games only concern themselves with certain combinations of taken cards.
Month Flower Cards January Matsu Pine 2 Normal (1 point), 1 Poetry Ribbon (5 points) and 1 Special: Crane and Sun (20 points) February Ume blossoms 2 Normal (1 point), 1 Poetry Ribbon (5 points) and 1 Special: Warbler in a Tree (10 points) March Sakura Cherry blossoms 2 Normal (1 point), 1 Poetry Ribbon (5 points) and 1 Special: Sakura Banner (20 points) April Wisteria 2 Normal (1 point), 1 Red Ribbon (5 points) and 1 Special: Cuckoo in a Tree (10 points) May Iris 2 Normal (1 point), 1 Red Ribbon (5 points) and 1 Special: Water Iris at Dock (10 points) June Peony 2 Normal (1 point), 1 Purple Ribbon (5 points) and 1 Special: Butterflies (10 points) July Bush Clover 2 Normal (1 point), 1 Red Ribbon (5 points) and 1 Special: Boar (10 points) August Japanese Pampas Grass 2 Normal (1 point), 2 Specials: Geese in Flight (10 points), Full Moon with Red Sky (20 points) September Chrysanthemum 2 Normal (1 point), 1 Purple Ribbon (5 points) and 1 Special: Poetry Sake cup (10 points) October Maple 2 Normal (1 point), 1 Purple Ribbon (5 points) and 1 Special: Deer under Tree (10 points) November Willow 1 Red Ribbon (5 points) and 3 Specials: Lightning (1 point), Swallow (10 points), Man with Umbrella Strolling (Rainman, 20 points) December Paulownia 3 Normal (1 point, one colored differently than the others), Special: Chinese Phoenix (20 points)
In Hawaii, there are cards of a Hawaiian version, too. In Korea, the November and December suits are reversed.1