"Prime Minister's flower Karuta 総理大臣の花かるた" Traditional Japanese Playing Cards

This flower karuta is a reprint of an order from Japan's first Prime Minister, Lord Hirobumi Ito, who ordered Oishi Tengu-do to reproduce his early flower karuta, which were beautifully depicted in Japanese paintings.
One set of hana karuta made at that time is now preserved in the Ito family and one set in the Oishi Tengu-do.

Each hanafuda (card) is carefully back-finished one by one using traditional methods.
*The back side is black.
*Comes in a special wooden box.
*The cards are made of paper.

It is believed that card games first arrived in Japan during the Azuchi-Momoyama period.
Card games were introduced by the Portuguese through the Nanban trade, along with guns, Christianity, and Kasutera sponge cakes.
The Japanese word "karuta" (歌留多，加留多，骨牌) is said to have originated from the Portuguese word "carta," which indicates a card game.

During the Edo period, karuta was widely used by the general public, but because it was also used for gambling, a ban on karuta was imposed.
"Hanafuda" is thought to have been invented as a way out of this prohibition.
The "Hana" in "Hanafuda" (Japanese playing cards) is said to have been given this name because of the flower and bird designs on them.

【The composition of Hanafuda】
Hanafuda cards have a specific flower pattern for each month from January to December.
January / pine, February / plum, March / cherry, April / wisteria, May / kakitsubata, June / peony, July / bush clover, August / susuki, September / chrysanthemum, October / autumn leaves, November / willow, December / paulownia
Each month consists of one 20-point bill (Hikari) or 10-point bill (Tane), one 5-point bill (Tanzaku), and two 1-point bills (Normal), for a total of 48 bills (12 months x 4).

*For the rules, please refer to the rule explanation image.

The "Ino-Shika-Cho" is a well-known Hanafuda (Japanese playing cards) game that consists of three cards: boar, deer, and butterfly.
Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Choji, members of the Tenth Squad of Konohagakure in the popular manga and anime "Naruto" are named after this "Ino-Shika-Cho".

"Oishi-Tengu-Do 大石天狗堂" was founded in 1800 by "Kuranosuke Oishi 大石内蔵助" in Kyoto, and has been a long-established karuta (Japanese style playing cards) shop in Kyoto for over 200 years.
Through "karuta," as represented by the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, as well as Go and Shogi, "Oishi-Tengu-Do 大石天狗堂" is conveying the traditional beauty of Japan, the Japanese spirit, and the elegance and fun of Kyoto to the modern age.
Oishi Tengu-do's representative products include Iroha Karuta, Inubou Karuta, Kyo Iroha Karuta, Genji Karuta, Genji Kaiawase, Hana Karuta, Hanafuda, Unsun Karuta, as well as Hyakunin Isshu.
In particular, Oishi Tengu-do produces karuta approved by the All Japan Karuta Association for the Hyakunin Isshu, and the Genji Karuta, a karuta based on Japan's world-famous Tale of Genji, is another popular product of Oishi Tengu-do.

"Prime Minister's flower Karuta 総理大臣の花かるた" Traditional Japanese Playing Cards

12 months x 4 cards, total 48 cards
*The cards are made of paper.
*The design is printed.
*It is packaged in a wooden box.
*Includes instruction manual in Japanese and English.

Size : Cards / 80 × 51
Wooden box / 107 × 85 × 51mm

Weight : About 360g

1,000 JPY flat rate shipping within Japan, free shipping for purchases totaling 20,000 JPY or more.
Please bear the actual cost for shipping charges outside Japan.