Hanafuda is a gambling game played with a 48-card deck divided into twelve 4-card suits represented by trees, shrubs or flowers, each corresponding to a particular month of the year. Each of the 12 suits has at least one card depicting a bird, animal or stylized figure appropriate to the suit sign. Some have a "poem card" showing a red (or blue) strip of Japanese poem-writing paper with a poem written on it (or blank).

Hanafuda evolved from Western-style playing cards introduced by the Dutch in the 1500s and from a Heian-period (794-1185) court pastime whose name means "matching birds and flowers." The object of the game is to collect as many cards as possible by matching suits. All cards have an assigned point value of 20,10, 5 or 1. However, much of the excitement and fun lies in the many exotic extra-score combinations and the special names and symbolism of the cards themselves. Hanafuda is still played today and remains more of a backroom gambling game than a family entertainment.

The cards are small (2"x 1 1/4") and rigid. I hate to admit it, but I put some of the cards upside down (looked normal to me :-), but I was having such a hard time keeping them in line, I didn't notice. For an idea of which months are which, running from the top row, left to right: September (chrysanthemum), February (plum), August (pampas grass), October (maple), January (pine) March (cherry).

Well, now you know more than you ever wanted to know about hanafuda!