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For Today’s Japan Photo series, we shall take a look at one of Japan’s traditional card game – Menko めんこ which you try to overturn your opponent’s card by slapping yours hard on the ground.

I really love these colorful traditional Menko cards which was taken by the author of the Wikipedia article, and here’s the description taken off Wikipedia:

Menko (めんこ) is a Japanese card game played by two or more players. It is also the name of the type of cards used to play this game. Each player uses Menko cards made from thick paper or cardboard, with one or both side printed with images from anime, manga, etc. A player’s card is placed on the hardwood or concrete floor and the other player throws down his card, trying to flip the other player’s card with a gust of wind or by striking his card against the other card. If he succeeds, he takes both cards. The player who takes all the cards, or the one with the most cards at the game’s end, wins the game.

Menko has been popular from the Edo period. Its quick and simple rules has made it popular among children of all age groups. Because technique is just as important as power in this game, smaller kids have a fair chance of winning.

The pictures on these cards reflect the popular culture of their time, and Menko cards from the past reflect important information about their era. In the Edo and early Meiji period, images like ninja and samurai were popular. Before World War II, the most popular images were of the military, like fighter planes and battleships. After the war, characters from anime and manga were popular, as well as baseball players. In the late 1980s to early 1990s, Menko cards were decorated with holographs and sparkles.