Other games using Karuta Cards?

April 10, 2013 11:44 AM

When I lived in Japan I spent new years with a family and we played a card game using Karuta cards. It wasn't a variation of Karuta... it had something to do with the portraits of the people on the cards? Like, whether they were princesses, ladies or lords. Sort of like Old Maid maybe? Does anyone know what this was?
posted by Caravantea to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (4 answers total)

Need more info.

for variations of karuta...see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karuta

Also, hanafuda and variations include "Mario" and so on (see wiki under hanafuda).
posted by mule98J at 12:56 PM on April 10, 2013

Response by poster: It wasn't a type of Karuta, it was a completely different style of game, but used the Karuta 'portrait cards.'
posted by Caravantea at 4:26 PM on April 10, 2013

Best answer: Perhaps you're thinking of what's known as "bozumekuri," where you pull out picture cards from a stack facing down. (Bozu is the monk, mekuri means to "turn over" as in the pages of a book.) The basic rules are, when you get a man, keep the card. When you get a woman, keep the card and pull another. When you get a monk, discard your stash and start from zero. Whoever has the most cards in the end wins. There are variations of this rule.
posted by misozaki at 4:52 PM on April 10, 2013

Response by poster: Yes, yes! Thank you I think that's it! Thank you Misozaki!
posted by Caravantea at 4:05 PM on April 11, 2013