Hanafuda cards were developed in Japan after the introduction of Western playing cards over 350 years ago.
A Hanafuda deck consists of 48 cards divided into 12 suits of 4 cards each. Each suit is named after one of the twelve months of the year and each has its appropriate flower in major and minor cards.
The major cards are quite beautiful, the minor ones of plainer design. When you see a whole pack spread out the effect is quite stunningly beautiful (see photo).
The cards are smaller than Western playing cards and are made either of heavy card or plastic. The better quality cards are made of card and paper while cheaper versions are made of plastic. The card and paper decks are much more beautiful to look at and to handle. On the other hand the cheap plastic decks are very hard-wearing.
The Hanafuda decks on offer here come complete with rules in Japanese. If you are not sure how to play and want an English-language explanation of the rules see: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanafuda or sloperama.com/hanafuda.html.
These famous Nintendo "Daitoryo" Hanafuda cards, aka the "Napoleon deck" is the premier set on the market today.
The cards are made to a high standard out of card and paper and are packed in an impressive, hardwearing plastic storage box with a picture of "Daitoryo" Napoleon on top.
This item will be shipped from Japan by Express Mail Service.
$35.00
The popular Nintendo "Tengu" Hanafuda deck is famous for the picture of Tengu, on the box. Tengu are long-nosed demon-gods, famous in Japanese folklore and sometimes worshipped as Shinto "kami" (gods).
Incidentally, Tengu's long nose ("hana") allows for a pun with the "hana" (flower) of "hanafuda".
The cards are made to a high standard out of card and paper of a slightly lower grade than the Daitoryo deck. They are packed in an impressive, hardwearing plastic storage box with a picture of "Tengu" on top.
This item will be shipped from Japan by Express Mail Service.
The delicate "Miyako No Hana" set on offer here is made of card and paper and comes in a plastic storage box.
The back of the cards are either a classic black or a restrained red ochre, according to your preference.
This beautiful set is made by Nintendo and is one of the most commonly used sets in Japan.
$18.50
Click Here to see a photo of the deck. Then, click on the photo on the new page to enlarge.
OUT OF STOCK
This is a neat & economical set of vinyl Hanafuda cards. Unlike Western playing cards, Hanafuda cards are stiff so vinyl is a popular and economical alternative to the more expensive paper and card sets.
Also, if you are looking for outdoor hanafuda cards, this is the best deck for you!
The cards in this set are bright and cheerful to the eye with a smooth upper surface. They come in a plastic storage tray, complete with an illustrated black and white scoring chart.
$6.50
Here is an economically priced set of Hanafuda cards. The full colour card designs are printed directly onto the card.
The deck comes in a colourful card box and includes a set of rules in Japanese with illustrations for two different games:
* 88 no Asobi
* Koi Koi no Asobi.
$5.25
Click Here to see a photo of the deck.
Here is a great collector's set for Hanafuda fans who love Disney - or Disney fans who enjoy Hanafuda...
The set is nicely packaged and comes complete with a rules manual.
The cards are standard sized, with green backs and edges. Each card has a Disney character on it.
The blurb on the back of the box says, "This is a truly original product which depicts Disney Vision coupled with Disney Characters."
Click Here to see a large photo of the deck.
This is a high-quality version of the popular Japanese Hanafuda/Western Playing Card combination deck.
The cards include every card of the Hanafuda deck plus some Japanese God cards (for the Kings) and Dragons as Jokers. Photo
The plastic cards can sustain a lot of handling. They measure 59mm x 88mm and the Hanafuda picture in the middle is 35mm x 55m inside the black border.
The deck comes in a plastic case with a cardboard sleeve.
The set includes a rules sheet in Japanese with an illustrated points chart to show the value of the Hanafuda cards.
$18.50
Click Here to see a larger photo of the deck.
Hanafuda-Style Playing Cards
This is a set of playing cards with a unique twist: it combines western playing card features with Hanafuda designs in a single set!
Full set of 54 playing cards, complete with plastic storage box.
Hello
I am interested in getting a few of the Vinyl Hanafuda Cards when I click on the Paypal click, all the instructions are in Japanese and I can’t read it.
Is there another way to purchase the cards?
Hope you are safe in Hiroshima.
Jeanie
Hi Jeanie,
Thanks for the heads-up about the Vinyl Hanafuda Paypal. As I live in Japan my Paypal account tends to default to Japanese. I’ll try and fix the problem.
We are okay in Hiroshima, thank you. A long way from the disaster area.
David
I just posted a graphic about how to read the Japanese Paypal shopping cart here:
http://www.japanese-games-shop.com/news/how-to-read-the-japanese-paypal-shopping-cart/
Hope that helps!
David.
My paypal was also in Japanese, when I ordered,
but I could change the language to English in the upper right hand corner….
Hi Isabelle,
Thank you for pointing that out. I just checked the Paypal payment process again and the “change language” option appears on the second Paypal page as you process the order. When you click the “Add to Cart” button you are taken to the page that I translated in the graphic. That page doesn’t have a “change language” option. You have to click the “Check Out With Paypal” button on that page and you can change language on the next page before making your payment.
1. Click the “Add to Cart” button.
2. Japanese order page (no “change language” option).
3. Click “Check out with Paypal”
4. Change language to English via the link in the top right corner of the new page.
5. Complete your order.
Hope that clarifies the process!
Best wishes,
David
I just got the club nintendo hanafuda cards and I like them alot! I am thinking of getting Nintendo Miyako No Hanafuda
cards! by the way does that set come with instuctions for games other than Koi-Koi?
OK i looked at the price of the Nintendo Miyako No Hanafuda
and the shipping doubles their price so I’m going for the vinyl deck and I just wanted to know if they are standard size?
I’M LOOKING FOR A DECK OF HANAFUDA CARDS WESTERN SIZE WITH THE POINT VALUES PRINTED AT THE TOP OF EACH CARD.
CAN YOU HELP ME FIND IT….OR TELL ME WHAT TO WRITE IN MY SEARCH.
I HAVE A DECK THAT WE BOUGHT IN HAWAII MANY YEARS AGO AND WOULD LIKE TO GET ANOTHER DECK.
THANK YOU,
MARILYN
Hi Marilyn,
I don’t sell Hawaiian Hanafuda decks as they are not common here in Japan. I did a quick Google search for “hawaiian hanafuda” and found this website: http://hanafudahawaii.com/ – they also have a link to a Facebook group where you might be able to get some help.
Best wishes,
David
Hi,
The Hanafuda decks that I sell are all shipped from Japan, hence the shipping and handling fee. The yen is really high right now. The vinyl deck is a popular alternative; the cards are much about the same size as classic decks, but thicker. Actually, if you want the exact same size for a lower price you should think about going for the economy deck.
Hope that helps!
David
Sorry about the late reply! Actually, the Vinyl Hanafuda deck that you mentioned in your later post has a set of rules with it, but I think they are just koi-koi! A good source of information is http://www.sloperama.com/hanafuda.html and if you post a question, Tom Sloper will almost certainly respond.
Best wishes,
David
Hi!
I recently got into hanafuda cards, and wanted to buy the nintendo brand cards. But I am conflicted on which of these 2 sets I want to buy. Could you tell me the difference between the “Napoleon” Deck and the “Miyako No Hanafuda” Deck?
Oh and do you ship to the U.S.?
Hi!
I was wondering if you can tell me the difference between the “Napoleon” Deck and the “Miyako No Hanafuda” Deck?
And do you ship to the U.S.? because I’m not sure if you do or not, haha.
Thank you,
Hi Blake,
Yes, I ship everything I feature on this site to the USA and most other countries as well!
As for the difference between the cards of the Napoleon Hanafuda deck and the Miyako Hanafuda deck, they are very subtle and most people probably wouldn’t notice any difference at all. One difference you do notice is the box. The Napoleon Hanfuda box is “virtually indestructible” when subjected to normal everyday use. Of course, you could burn it I suppose…
i’m looking for thick plastic hanafuda cards, what they seem to call “outdoor” cards. are any of these you sell hard plastic?
Hi Jan,
The best set for playing outdoors is the “Vinyl Hanafuda Cards” deck, third deck down the listings on this page:
http://www.japanese-games-shop.com/games/hanafuda-cards/
Best wishes,
David
How do you pronounce HANAFUDA? I have a report on it and i need to say it and i have no idea how
Hiya Girl!
I made a recording about “how to pronounce Hanafuda” for you:
How Do You Pronounce The Name Of The Japanese Card Game, “Hanafuda”? by hirohurl
Good luck with your report!
David
hey, I was just wondering if you know of any other hanafuda card games other than Koi-Koi?
Hi,
I just got a set of economy hanafuda cards on ebay and I definitely like the game a lot, so that’s why I’m planning to get a nicer set of cards.
What i don’t like about the ones I have is that because they are made with cardboard, it makes them easily subject to wear and tear.
I want to order either one of the first 2 sets you have here but is the material of those decks relatively the same or is it a harder material? Or is my best bet the vinyl set?
You can sort of say that I prefer higher quality products that are durable and comfortable to the touch.
Thank you!
Hi Arthur,
The nicest hanafuda deck to play with is the Daitoryo deck (or Napoleon deck as I call it). The Miyako is a pretty close second. They are more elegant than the economy and vinyl decks and certainly tougher than the economy deck. The core of the card is made of cardboard but it is covered with a thin, hardwearing material (reinforced paper or perhaps a kind of fabric) and the picture is laid over that on the top side. The finish is excellent so if you prefer high quality, the Miyako no Hanafuda or Napoleon Hanafuda would be the decks for you.
Hi David,
My Napoleon deck has arrived today, I’m very satisfied about the quality of the product and the rapidity of the delivery. Thank you very much!
P.S. Gosh! They’re so small compared to our regional decks, not to mention Florentine cards.
Hi David,
The Miyako deck came in a short while ago and I’ve been playing with them for these couple days. Thank you for the fast delivery and quality of the product. It looks and feels great, glad i picked these up.
Thanks.
Arthur
Hi Arthur,
Thank you for the feedback. I’m pleased to hear that you like the Miyako hanafuda deck.
Best wishes,
David
Are there any companies that sell oversized or larger-format hanafuda cards? The biggest complaint I get from people I play with is the size of the cards; they can be difficult to read for newbies and hard to shuffle with their miniscule size.
Hi Cody,
I don’t know of any larger-sized Hanafuda decks. One possible solution may be the Hanafuda-Style Playing Cards by Tamura Shogundo, (see listings above). They are a Hanafuda/Western playing card combination deck so they can be shuffled easily.
Here’s a photo of the deck: http://www.japanese-games-shop.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/tamurahanafudadeck.jpg
hey, do you know where to get the Tengu deck
i want so a tengu deck and other hanafuda’s variant as echigo fuda…
do you think it’s possible than purchase in our shop ?
thanks
Hi! Right here on this page! I just added the Tengu deck
…
Yes, it’s now possible to purchase a Nintendo Tengu Hanafuda Deck from my shop. I have just added Tengu Hanafuda decks to my range.
thanks so much!
um, its out of my price range, but what is the difference of the quality of the Daitoryo between the tengu? (which one is better qaulity?)
The Daitoryo is the best quality deck, but all three Nintendo Hanafuda decks are made to high standards.
How big are the cards? I just ordered a deck from another website and they measure about 1 inch by 2 inch, or 3 cm by 5 cm. I didn’t think they were this small, how big are the cards you’re selling?
Hi Ben,
Genuine Japanese Hanafuda cards are about the dimensions you mentioned. The Nintendo decks and the cheaper decks I sell on this site are all about that size.
If you want to play Hanafuda with bigger cards, I recommend the Hanafuda-Style Playing Cards by Tamura Shogundo available on this page.
Best wishes,
David
The 18$ western/hana card mix are ~2.5×3.5 standard european card size. How large and what are the 5$ cards made out of vinyl? and are they about the same size? or are they the very small card variants?
Hi Charles,
The Vinyl Hanafuda cards are made out of vinyl and the dimensions are about 35 x 55 mm. In other words, they are standard size hanafuda cards. They are a variant of the typical Japanese hanafuda deck inasmuch as they are made out of vinyl. The real “variants” are the western/hanafuda composite card decks.
Hello, I’m interested in the Economy Hanafuda. I’m in the Philippines and I don’t do paypal or any internet paying. I use western union and money transfers. Is it possible? I’ll be paying for the shipping too.
Hi Suzi,
Sorry, but no.
dear admin,
i was wondering do you still have the economy set hanafuda? i’m looking for 2. how long will it take to ship? please get back to me ASAP.
rgds,
Jom
Hi Jom,
I have a few Economy Hanafuda decks, but they go quite quickly. Two decks shipped by airmail will take about 10 to 21 days to be delivered, I guess.
DH
Hi, Will you guys be selling the Spirited Away Hanafuda cards?
Hello, may I know if the Disney cards are plastic or of higher quality? Thanks!
Hi Hui,
The Disney cards are made of card-stock, not plastic.
Hello!
I would like to order hanafuda cards. Could you please advice me the most traditional ones? It is going to be a gift for my Russian friend, so it should not be Napoleon stock, for example.
Do you deliver cards to Russia? If so, how much time does it take to deliver the order?
Many thanks in advance.