Hanafuda - Everything2.com
Hanafuda Hanafuda (Japanese Card Game) Hanafuda or Hanakaruta ("karuta", from the Portuguese word "carta") is a gamblingcard game. It is also called "Sakura" or "Cherry Blossom". Hanafuda was out-lawed in the Edo Era and was recovered in the Meiji Era. It is played with a 48 card deck, divided into twelve card suits corresponding to the twelve months of the year. Each suit is shown by a different flower or plant. Each flower is representative of a calendar month around the time it comes into bloom and depict the yearly cycle using Japanese imagery. The ume, or plum, is the first fruit tree to...