Japanese Gambling Games

In Asia baccarat is one of the most popular games in both online and land-based casinos. Pachinko is Japan's biggest game. And yet many people overseas have never even heard of it. WHERE we played: Ebisu Cafe in Takayama!

Most forms of gambling in Japan are generally banned by the Criminal Code chapter 23;^[1] however, there are several exceptions, including betting on horse racing and certain motor sports.^[2]

Public sports, lottery, and toto (football pools) are held under special laws in order to increase the income of national and local governments, as well as to offer a form of entertainment.

Since 2018, casino operators have been bidding for three legal licenses to operate an integrated casino resort in Japan, including in Osaka, Tokyo, and Yokohama. The Japanese government established the Casino Administration Committee in 2020 to supervise and manage Japan's resort operators.

A number of fictional franchises focus on gambling in Japan.

Public sports[edit]

Kōei kyōgi (Japanese: 公営競技, public sports) are public races that can be gambled on legally. There are four types: horse racing, bicycle racing, powerboat racing, and asphalt speedway motorcycle racing. They are allowed by special laws and are regulated by local governments or governmental corporations.

All four types employ parimutuel betting. The prize pool for gamblers on these races are 70-80% of total sales. Betting tickets are available at numerous circuits and ticket booths (off-track betting) within many cities.

Lottery[edit]

Takarakuji (Japanese: 宝くじ), i.e., lotteries, are held by prefectures or large cities on a regular basis all throughout the calendar year.

There are three main types of lotteries: unique number lotteries, selected number lotteries, and scratch cards. Each lottery ticket is sold at 100 to 500 yen, and the top cash prizes are usually 100 million yen or more.

The takarakuji law stipulates that the entire prize pool for any given lottery is to be less than 50% of total sales, with the rest going to local government organizations and charities.

Takarakuji tickets are available at takarakuji booth and stores in many cities, with some outlets becoming particularly popular.^[3] Tickets for selected number lotteries can be also bought at some ATMs.

Pachinko[edit]

Pachinko is a pinball-like slot machine game. It is officially not considered gambling because Japanese laws regard pachinko as an exception to the criminal code on gambling for historical, monetary, and cultural reasons. Pachinko parlors can be found all over Japan, and they are operated by private companies. As of 2011, there are about 12,480 pachinko parlors in Japan.^[4] In 2018, Japan spent $200 billion on pachinko each year. Also, 'nearly half of all leisure time in Japan' was spent in pachinko parlors.^[5]

In pachinko, when a player's ball makes it into a special hole to activate the slot machine and a jackpot is made, they are rewarded with more balls. Players can then exchange the balls for prizes of different value at a booth in the parlor. Money cannot be awarded at pachinko parlors as this would be in violation of the criminal code. However, players almost always exchange pachinko balls for special tokens, usually slips of gold encased in plastic, and then 'sell' them at a neighboring shop for cash. Usually such shops are also owned by the parlor operators, but as long as the winners do not receive cash in the parlor, the law is not broken.^[6]

On April 4, 2011, Shintaro Ishihara, the previous Tokyo Governor, spoke against the pachinko parlors, arguing that the popular game together with vending machines were wasting electricity, at 'nearly 10 million kilowatts of energy [sic]'. He said that following the consequences the earthquake of March 11, 2011, the government asked people to reduce energy consumption, but asking wasn't enough and the government order was not enacted.^[7] In 2016, the Parliament voted to approve the said law that will eventually alter the gambling industry in Japan.^[7][8]

Illegal gambling[edit]

Yakuza are known to operate illegal casinos in Japan. In addition to traditional casino games, Mahjong can be played for money and many mahjong parlors have ties with the Yakuza to assist collecting debt from players who default.

Another illegal gambling opportunity is offered by mobile gambling sites. At these sites, Japanese gamblers can play rock-paper-scissors and win cash prizes. In 2010, the owner of one of these sites was arrested and confessed to earning over $1 million. The players purchased betting tickets for ¥315. They could win ¥1,000 if they won three times in a row while ¥10,000 was the prize for those who won five times in a row.^[9]

Casinos[edit]

Efforts to legalize[edit]

There were movements within the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) government to open casinos to boost tourism in Japan.^[10] Operating casinos remains illegal in Japan, and recent sports betting on baseball by sumo wrestlers has caused a scandal.^[2]

In 2000, former mayor Ishihara proposed building casinos in Odaiba, but despite the high public interest, the idea wasn't entirely approved. One of the arguments against the developments was that the Japanese being not used to gambling would be too prone to addiction.^[11] Another possibility for the development of the casino industry in Japan is the creation of floating casinos. The idea of boat gambling has also been actively supported by Ishihara.^[12]

Casino legislation in Japan picked up fresh momentum with lawmakers submitting the Integrated Resort (IR) Enabling Act to the Diet in 2015.^[13]

Legalization and bidding[edit]

In July 2018, Japanese lawmakers approved a bill that officially allows casinos in the country. Three casinos in the form of integrated resorts (IRs) will be established in different locations. The IRs will come with restrictions and Japanese locals will only be able to visit the casinos three times per week, or ten times a month. Japanese visitors will also be charged a 6,000 yen entrance fee to help discourage addiction.^[14]

Osaka was the first to launch the “Request For Proposal” (RFP) process in 2019,^[15] and the five companies who applied for an Osaka integrated casino resort license are Las Vegas Sands, Wynn Resorts, MGM Resorts, Melco Resorts, and Genting Singapore.^[16] Names of two gambling operators were not revealed as they had requested anonymity.^[17] In February 2020 only MGM Resorts had submitted a bid in Osaka, with no bids put in by competing companies Galaxy Entertainment and Genting Singapore.^[18] MGM was awarded the contract. Las Vegas Sands, Melco Resorts and Entertainment and Wynn Resorts all said they were instead focusing on Yokohama and Tokyo and the bidding processes there, for the remaining two licenses.^[19][18]

On May 13, 2020, Las Vegas Sands recalled its bid to open an IR in Japan amid postponment of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and global coronavirus epidemic.^[20]

Casino Administration Committee[edit]

The Japanese government established the Casino Administration Committee on January 7, 2020. Intended to supervise and manage Japan's IR operators, it operates as an external department to the cabinet. The chairman is Michio Katamura. It will grant casino licenses and also be able to revoke them, and investigate operators and related officers.^[21]

Media depictions[edit]

Gambling is the central theme of many Japanese fictional works, including manga, anime, film, and literature. Examples of gambling franchises include Kakegurui (Compulsive Gambler), Gambling Apocalypse: Kaiji, Usogui, Akagi, Legendary Gambler Tetsuya, Liar Game, Mahjong Hishō-den: Naki no Ryū, One Outs, Rio: Rainbow Gate!, and Tobaku Haōden Zero.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^(in English)Criminal Code of Japan PDF
2. ^ ^ab'Japan's sumo supremo replaced'. AFP. Aug 12, 2010. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
3. ^Takarakuji: What's chance got to do with it?, The Japan Times
4. ^Gov. sparks pachinko bashing
5. ^Japan's pinball gambling industry rakes in 30 times more cash than Las Vegas casinos, Business Insider
6. ^Playing Pachinko: How Illegal Gambling Is Legal in Japan
7. ^ ^ab'Top Gambling players from Japan'. Retrieved 2013-05-09.
8. ^Tokyo Governor Takes Aim at Vending Machines, Pachinko
9. ^'Gambling in Japan: Gambling in Japan: Bicycles, Boats and Horse Racing'. Archived from the original on 2011-02-02. Retrieved 2011-11-08.
10. ^LDPdiscussion about casinos in 2006Archived 2008-01-09 at the Wayback Machine
11. ^Viva Odaiba! Ishihara dreams of casinos in the bay
12. ^'Racism in Japan: Racism as a Business Defence'. Archived from the original on 2013-01-03. Retrieved 2011-11-08.
13. ^Japan casino legalisation bill delayed again in latest blow, Reuters
14. ^'Japan's Diet approves opening of casino resorts despite opposition'. The Mainichi. July 20, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
15. ^Osaka Begins Taking Applications for Integrated Resort Proposals Casino.org
16. ^The Race for a Japan Casino License Is Now MGM Resorts' to Lose, NASDAQ
17. ^Names of five casino firms in Osaka RFC phase revealed, ggrasia.com
18. ^ ^abMGM Resorts Last Competitor Standing in Osaka Integrated Resort Competition, Casino.org
19. ^Osaka closes on IR partner following drop-outs
20. ^Las Vegas Sands scraps plans for Japan integrated resort casino project, Reuters
21. ^Japan formally establishes Casino Administration Committee

Hanafuda (花札) is a style of Japaneseplaying cards used to play a variety of games. Hanafuda translates to 'flower cards'.^[1][2] The name also refers to some games played with the cards.

History[edit]

Playing cards were introduced to Japan by the Portuguese in the mid-16th century. The Portuguese deck consisted of 48 cards, four suits divided into 12 ranks. The first Japanese-made decks made during the Tenshō period (1573-92) mimicked Portuguese decks and are referred to as Tenshō Karuta. The main game was a trick-taking game intermediate in evolution between Triunfo and Ombre.^[3] After Japan closed off all contact with the Western world in 1633, foreign playing cards were banned.^[4]

In 1648, Tenshō Karuta were banned by the Tokugawa shogunate.^[5] During prohibition, gambling with cards remained highly popular which led to disguised card designs. Each time gambling with a card deck of a particular design became too popular, the government banned it, which then prompted the creation of a new design. This cat and mouse game between the government and rebellious gamblers resulted in the creation of increasingly abstract and minimalist regional patterns (地方札). These designs were initially called Yomi Karuta after the popular Poch-like game of Yomi which was known by the 1680s.^[6]

Through the Meiwa, An'ei, and Tenmei eras (roughly 1764–1789), a game called Mekuri took the place of Yomi. It became so popular that Yomi Karuta was renamed Mekuri Karuta.^[6] Mechanically, Mekuri is similar to Chinese fishing games.^[7] Cards became so commonly used for gambling that they were banned in 1791, during the Kansei era.

The earliest known reference to Hana Awase (hanafuda) is from 1816 when it was recorded as a banned gambling tool. Unlike earlier decks it consists of 12 months (suits) divided into four rank-like categories. The majority of hanafuda games are descended from Mekuri although Yomi adaptations for the flower cards survived until the 20th century.^[6] Though they can still be used for gambling, its structure and design is less convenient than other decks such as Kabufuda. In the Meiji period, playing cards became tolerated by the authorities.

In 1889, Fusajiro Yamauchi founded Nintendo for the purposes of producing and selling hand-crafted hanafuda. Nintendo has focused on video games since the 1970s but continues to produce cards in Japan, including a few Mario-themed sets. Nintendo has licensed many third-party video game adaptations of hanafuda over the decades. The Koi-Koi game played with hanafuda cards is included in Nintendo's own Clubhouse Games (2006) for the Nintendo DS, and Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics (2020) for the Nintendo Switch.^[8]

Outside of Japan[edit]

In Hawaii, there is Hawaiian-style Koi-Koi which is also known as Sakura, Higobana, and sometimes Hanafura.

In South Korea, the cards are called Hwatu (Korean: 화투, Hanja: 花鬪); the name literally translates as battle of flowers. It most likely was brought to Korea during the late 1890s.^[9][10] Two of the most common Hwatu games are Go-stop (Korean: 고스톱)^[11] and Seotda (Korean: 섯다). Hwatu is very commonly played in South Korea during special holidays such as the Lunar New Years, and also during the Korean holiday of Chuseok (추석). Playing Go-stop at holiday family gatherings has been a Korean tradition for many years. The Korean version is usually played with three players, with two-person variants.

Hanafuda is also played in Micronesia (the former South Seas Mandate), where it is known as Hanahuda and is a four-person game, which is often paired cross-table.^[12]

Cards[edit]

There are 48 cards total, divided into twelve suits, representing months of the year. Each is designated by a flower and has four cards. The point values should be considered merely as a ranking mechanism, as the most popular games only concern themselves with certain combinations of taken cards.

Some decks may have an extra card which could be blank (to draw a replacement) or feature a manufacturer's logo. In the Korean Hwatu version, the November and December suits are swapped. Hwatu may also include a variety of extra cards ranging in functionality, including 'service cards' (서비스 패) which award various bonuses.^[13]

Card significance[edit]

The January and February poetry tanzaku cards ( ) have the phrase akayoroshi (あかよろし, “red is good”), using the hentaigana character 𛀙 for ka.

The March poetry tanzaku card ( ) reads mi-Yoshino (みよしの), referring to the town of Yoshino, Nara. Yoshino is known for its cherry trees, especially of its Somei-Yoshino hybrid.

The September sake cup card ( ) has the kanjikotobuki (寿, “long life”) inscribed on it.

Games[edit]

Mekuri derived games:

• Hana Awase
  • Minhwatu
  • Koi-Koi
  • Roppyakken
  • Mushi
• Hachi
• Hachi-hachi
  • Sudaoshi
• Tensho

Yomi derived games:

• Poka
• Hiyoko
• Isuri

Gabo Japgi/Kabufuda derived games:

Japanese Games Online

• Seotda
• Doryjytgo-ttang

See also[edit]

• Tazza: The High Rollers (or The War of Flower)

Japanese Gambling Pachinko

Notes[edit]

1. ^Sometimes 芒 susuki is translated as pampas (grass).

References[edit]

1. ^McLeod, John. 'Games played with Flower Cards'. pagat.com. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
2. ^Pakarnian, John, 'Game Boy: Glossary of Japanese Gambling Games', Metropolis, January 22, 2010, p. 15.
3. ^Depaulis, Thierry (2009). 'Playing the Game: Iberian Triumphs Worldwide'. The Playing-Card. Vol 38-2, p. 134-137.
4. ^Harris, Blake J., Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation, It Books, 2014-May-13. ISBN978-0062276698. 'Chapter 5'
5. ^Mann, Sylvia; Wayland, Virginia (1973). The Dragons of Portugal. Farnham: Sanford. p. 46.
6. ^ ^abcKuromiya Kimihiko. (2005). 'Kakkuri: The Last Yomi Game of Japan'. The Playing-Card, Vol 33-4. p. 232-235.
7. ^McLeod, John; Dummett, Michael (1975). 'Hachi-Hachi'. The Playing-Card. 3 (4): 26–39.
8. ^Lane, Gavin. 'Nintendo Shares A Handy Infographic Featuring All 51 Worldwide Classic Clubhouse Games'. Nintendo Life. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
9. ^Kim, Kwang-ŏn. (2004). Tong Asia ŭi nori. Seoul: Minsogwŏn. ISBN89-5638-121-6. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
10. ^Fairbairn, John (1991). 'Modern Korean cards - a Japanese perspective'. The Playing-Card. 20 (2): 68–72.
11. ^McLeod, John. 'Rules of Card Games: Go Stop'. pagat.com. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
12. ^Iramk, Charlene. 'Hanahuda'. Hanahuda. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
13. ^Sloper, Tom. 'Go-Stop'. www.sloperama.com. Retrieved 20 December 2017.

External links[edit]

Japanese Gambling Game Pachinko

Japanese Gambling Card Games