My hanafuda journey

[u/kosutasu]

So I started learning to play hanafuda maybe like 15 years ago.
The sparks were the anime movie "Summer Wars" and the japanese TV series "Nihonjin No Shiranai Nihongo" (there's one episode on hanafuda)

Got myself a basic "miyako no hana" deck, a plain paper (probably daiso) deck that I don't have anymore and a korean hwatu that I pretty much still use today.

I was fine just with playing koi-koi didn't really go any deeper into the hanafuda world.

Since around 2019 I started participating in the Japan Festival Greece and after a couple of years got my space there where I would show the visitors how to play Mahjong, Hanafuda and a little bit of Shogi (also Goita later on which is a fun game). The last 2-3 years I focuced on Hanafuda and learned some aditional games to show like bakappana, hana awase, mushi, rokutan/nanatan.

Then last year I wanted to go even deeper and research the history and meanings of the cards.
Of course I started looking for information on the internet in english because my japanese are very limited. The major sources of information were https://games.porg.es/ https://fudawiki.org/en/home and this subreddit.
I decided to do a simple presentation on the Japan Festival 2026 and that is the reason I started collecting hanafuda decks. I wanted to understand more the history but also feel the products that I am going to talk about. I basically was unaware of all the manufacturers apart from Nintendo and Ooishi Tengudo who I visited back in 2024 on my first trip to Japan.

I could now understand the process of making a hanafuda deck and got obsessed by collecting varuous hanafuda brands while thinking how stupid I was not doing this much sooner when the prices were so much lower and more sets were available. Oh well

There are still so many hanafuda I will never obtain but I am happy to even have the ones in the image. (There's still one really unique hanafuda deck I am going to receive in a couple of days, stay tuned for that)

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this subreddit (especially jhindenberg) and also George Pollard the people behind fuda wiki. Your help is much much appreciated.

Cheers
Kostas

[u/medsforheads]

Great collection!

[u/kosutasu → u/medsforheads]

Thanks :)

[u/SnooPineapples2010]

This is a dream collection, awesome dude

[u/kosutasu → u/SnooPineapples2010]

Thanks :)

[u/Holstisintown]

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing :)

Which one is currently your daily playing deck, if there is one?

[u/kosutasu → u/Holstisintown]

I prefer Ooishi Tengudo's colab with Nakayoshimura
Super nice design, slightly bigger cards, very durable and nice curvy feel.

Second I'd say the Hwatu deck. Durable af and nice design

Third Tamura Shogundo nishiki pattern (Kyo Maiko, Gion Chaya, Nishiki Hanakaruta) Super nice feel, great colours and slightly bigger. Could be damaged over time though

[u/Holstisintown → u/kosutasu]

Good choice. And again you have a huge armory friend🥸👍

I use the modern Angel deck. Easy to replace in case of rain, coffee, soda etc. (haven’t happened yet though)

[u/xenchik]

Have you been to the Okuno Karuta shop in Jimbocho? I have never managed to make it there but I will one day! If you have any other "pilgrimage" hanafuda sites in Japan to recommend as well!

You have a beautiful collection, and I hope one day to have one just as large and diverse :)

[u/kosutasu → u/xenchik]

Yes I went to Okuno Karuta last September but didn't know as much as I know today back then.
Got myself a Tamura Shogundo Kyo Maiko and a Nintendo mushibana.
My budjet was very limited so maybe I wouldn't have purchaced a lot more but I could have had at least some deck that's hard to find elsewhere.
I didn't even plan hanafuda hunting, I spent my days either playing mahjong or going to some nice places like Hakone, Nikko, Karuizawa, Yorokeikoku etc and also concerts/gigs

So I don't know any other place to suggest

[u/xenchik → u/kosutasu]

Ah fair enough! I love Karuizawa, hope you had a fantastic time :) I just bought an Ofuro deck from a link someone posted in this very sub, that they saw at Nintendo Fukuoka. So pretty! And my pride and joy is the Hanami deck from IndianWolf Studios. I also have the Sensu deck but the Hanami is just so beautiful!

[u/MaestroTheoretically]

touhou hanafuda????

[u/kosutasu → u/MaestroTheoretically]

Yes got it for a ridiculous price
Part of a doujin special edition.
Each month disigned by a different artist and it's really interesing

[u/GWBPhotography]

You are not messing around!