Menko

A card game played by children or the card used in such a game.

The card is usually a round or rectangular piece of cardboard, with one side picturing popular figures such as famous samurai, sumo wrestles or, nowadays, cartoon cahracters. The object of the game is to flip over the opponent's card laid on the ground by slapping one's own card, as with marbles. The game itself is said to have already existed in the Edo period (1603-1868) with pieces of wood, clay, earthenware, lead, etc., also used as menko cards. Menko is also called betta or patchin in some districts. (*)

All these pictures are made by cutting figures out from Japanese Paper (Washi) with a blade.