What do you think about any card games? Magic and ◯thering? Yu-◯i o or Pokem〇n? So, they should compare their advantages and how to manage a better attacking plan than the opponents. It is a card game, isn’t it? That means it is about mind games, not physical.
However, do you imagine there is such a game (physical card game) in Japan? Let me introduce you to the card game. It is called ”Me n ko”!
How to play with the Menko Cards?
First, we need to put some cards on the ground. All card surfaces must be up. (There is no rule on how many. But both players should put the same numbers from their card deck for fairness).
Then, the attacker SLAMS the card to just the side of the opponent’s card on the ground and blows it upside down. It sounds impossible. However, the wind would make it possible.
When the card got slammed on the grand, the breeze would happen. Such weak wind would make the opponent’s card float and get it upside down. If the attacker successfully does that, the flipped card becomes his point. That means the attacker can snatch and collect the opponent’s card.
By how many cards they get, the player wins.
One more fact, the Menko cards need to be hard/tough because of the playing style. That is why they are made with cardboard.
The history
The time it was born is vague because no one can prove the exact time.
A historical theory says that will be around the Edo era (1603 – 1868 AC). In that era, the card was not from paper but thick cray. The cray was burned well to be a portion of pottery. Thus, players usually break it during the game.
In the Maizi era (it is after the Edo era. It lasted from 1868 to 1912 AC). The ingredients were changed. That one was the metal Lead. However, that soon became disabled because of its poison. So now, it was replaced by the cardboard.
Menko designs
After WW2, the design developed because of the better printing technology. All of them are now well printed, but the design always follows the old style. (Please look at the picture below.)
As you could have recognized, some sizes are different. That is another strategy. It is to choose which card would make better affection (making good air pressure and wind).
To close
So, it is a simple game. It is only slamming and flipping the opponent’s card upside down. But such a rule also makes it a more complicated game than we think because of the strategies/techniques. It is the interestingness of the old Japanese card game, Menko.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING! This time, I touched on one of the Japanese traditional toys. But there are still so many unique toys in Japan. If you are still interested in another Japanese Uniqueness, feel free to visit the front page of my blog.
OK then, see your next article!