---
title: "Flower 48"
short_title: "48 Flowers"
version: "0.1.1"
slug: "flower-48"
players: "2–4"
duration: "15–60 min"
age: "10+"
tagline: "Japanese flower cards: 12 monthly suits, 48 cards"
type: "component"
status: "live"
updated: "2026-07-21"
published: true
hub_type: component
how_to_play: "The Hanafuda deck (48 cards, 12 monthly suits) supports 4 games: Koi-Koi, Hana-Awase, Go-Stop, and Oicho-Kabu. All involve matching and collecting cards by suit or type."
mechanics: [set-collection, pattern, hand-management, betting, card-play]
complexity: moderate
related: [standard-52, mahjong, double-six-dominoes]
theme:
  surface: light
  tint: warm
  texture: none
  cover: cosmic
  typography: modern
  accent: red
  section-divider: "♥"
engine:
  topology:
    type: none
  surface: felt-green
  components:
    deck:
      type: hanafuda-48
    layout:
      type: fan
  players: [south, north]
---

<div class="section">

## Hanafuda

A Japanese 48-card deck divided into 12 suits, one for each month of the year. Each suit depicts a seasonal flower or plant. Multiple completely different games are played with this deck.

### The 48-Card Deck

12 suits of 4 cards each. Within each suit, cards are ranked by type: Bright, Animal, Ribbon, Plain.

| Month | Suit (Flower) | Bright | Animal | Ribbon | Plains |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Pine | Crane + Sun | — | Red Poetry | 2 |
| February | Plum Blossom | — | Bush Warbler | Red Poetry | 2 |
| March | Cherry Blossom | Cherry Curtain | — | Red Poetry | 2 |
| April | Wisteria | — | Cuckoo | Red | 2 |
| May | Iris | — | Bridge | Red | 2 |
| June | Peony | — | Butterflies | Blue | 2 |
| July | Bush Clover | — | Boar | Red | 2 |
| August | Pampas Grass | Full Moon | Geese | — | 2 |
| September | Chrysanthemum | — | Sake Cup | Blue | 2 |
| October | Maple | — | Deer | Blue | 2 |
| November | Willow | Rain Man | Swallow | Lightning | 1 |
| December | Paulownia | Phoenix | — | — | 3 |

**Totals:** 5 Brights, 9 Animals, 10 Ribbons, 24 Plains = 48 cards.

**Ribbon types:**
- **Red Poetry (Akatan):** Pine, Plum, Cherry — marked with calligraphy
- **Plain Red:** Wisteria, Iris, Bush Clover
- **Blue (Aotan):** Peony, Chrysanthemum, Maple
- **Lightning (special):** Willow (November)

</div>

<div class="section">

## Games

- [Go-Stop](games/go-stop/) — Korean hanafuda (Hwatu deck). Most popular card game in South Korea. Go/Stop decision: press on for bigger rewards or bank winnings. 2–3 players.
- [Hana-Awase](games/hana-awase/) — The base matching game. Collect cards by suit, highest point value wins.
- [Koi-Koi](games/koi-koi/) — Two-player matching game. Complete a yaku (scoring pattern), then choose: stop and score, or call "koi-koi" to continue for higher stakes.
- [Oicho-Kabu](games/oicho-kabu/) — Betting game using month values (mod 10). Closest to 9 wins. Origin of the word "Yakuza."

## Attribution

Hanafuda. Traditional Japanese playing cards, origins in the 17th century. Public domain. Rules confirmed from Pagat.com and Wikipedia.

</div>