No.201
Bozu Mekuri: Turn-the-Card Game
Japanese name: 坊主めくり
Materials
- The 100 illustrated poet cards from a Hyakunin Isshu set
How to play
- Shuffle the 100 illustrated Hyakunin Isshu cards into a face-down pile. Using actual cards, check how to recognize monks, women, and other figures. Agree on turn order.
- Turn over one card on your turn. If it shows neither a monk nor a woman, add it to your own collected pile.
- For a monk card, put both that card and all your collected cards into the center. Even if you have no collected cards, put the monk card there.
- For a woman card, collect that card and every card in the center. If the center is empty, take only the woman card. Play then passes to the next person.
- Everyone turns one card per turn until the draw pile is empty. Count collected cards; the largest total wins, and ties share the placing.
Ways to adapt
Preschool children: identify the picture types with an adult. Primary school children: use all 100 cards.