I am trying to find out a bit more about a card game I have seen in many Japanese yakuza movies, whats it called, what are the rules and where can I get a set of cards from, and is this game exclusively played by the Yakuza or is it a common game Sorry thats ten questions in one, you can mail longer answers to me at thejapaneseeye@yahoo.co.uk find the link also via my blog
http://thejapaneseeye.blogspot.com/
Thanks
2007-01-17 00:36:02 · 3 answers · asked by ichi_ban_gaijin 2 in Travel ➔ Asia Pacific ➔ Japan
Do you mean Hanafuda?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanafuda
Or Oichokabu?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oicho-Kabu
Hanafuda has a whole story and history behind it and I'm not exactly sure how it's played. But it's a popular underground gambling game. Usually between yakuza members but I'm sure there are many "regular" people who play it with the yakuza members as well.
I've seen my grandfather play the game with a friend in the past but I don't think many younger people know how to play.
Oicho-Kabu is just like baccarat (spell?).
Funny enough like the wikipedia for oicho-kabu mentions, the word "Yakuza" originates from this game. (Or said to have originated from it) If you add 8, 9, and 3 (8=ya, 9=ku, 3=sa/za) together you end up with 0 (if the total goes past10 you start from 1 again. So if total is 14 it's dealt as a 4 if 15 a 5 and so on) or a "no good" draw. Ya-ku-za = No good or a good-for-nothing.
2007-01-17 03:59:13 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Most likely you are referring to oichi-kabu. For example, in "Battles Without Honour or Humanity" that's what they are playing. It has a good entry in wikipedia. It's not a common game at all, unlike hanafuda or mah-jong. I doubt it's played all that much anymore. There are so many other ways to gamble in Japan nowadays-pachinko, mah-jong, bicycles, boats, motorbikes, plain old horses-with off-track betting being OK now.
2007-01-17 17:08:42 · answer #2 · answered by michinoku2001 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yakuza in Japanese just mean gang. It's the word gang so it does not explain what type it is.
2016-03-14 06:58:27 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The yakuza movies I have seen have the people playing Mahjong. Here is a link to a basic site, but if you Yahoo! Mahjong, there are a bunch more sites that can help you.
http://otal.umd.edu/~vg/amst205.F96/vj07/project3.html
If it is not Mahjong, sorry for the misunderstanding.
2007-01-17 00:43:22 · answer #4 · answered by Looking for the truth... 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋