Japan’s traditional games,
playable right now.
Shogi, Hanafuda Koi-Koi and Daifugo — practise against the AI or take on players worldwide. Nothing to download.
Shogi
A traditional Japanese board game of attack and defence on a 9×9 board. Captured pieces become yours to drop back into play as you work towards checkmate.
Hanafuda
Forty-eight cards depicting twelve months of plants and seasonal motifs. Play Koi-Koi: match months, build yaku, and choose when to stop or continue.
Daifugo
Shed your hand first. Eight stops, revolutions and suit locks turn every trick into a decision — and the class system carries the last deal’s result into the next one.
More classic games from our sister sites
Like Yamato.com, they are free and play in the browser with no sign-up.
Reversi
Flip your opponent’s discs on an 8×8 board. The rules take a minute to learn and a lifetime to master. Play the AI or people worldwide.
Gomoku
Line up five stones before your opponent does. Play the AI, invite a friend to a private room, or find a match online.
Riichi Mahjong
Japanese riichi mahjong in the browser, no sign-up needed. Play AI opponents, train your tile efficiency and learn every yaku.
Instant play
No download, no sign-up needed. Open a game and start. Create an account when you want your rating and record kept.
Four AI difficulty levels
A searching engine for Shogi; probability-driven play for Hanafuda and Daifugo. Four levels from Easy to Master.
Play the world
Match with anyone, or send a link for a private room. Games can be spectated live.
A rating per game
Shogi, Hanafuda and Daifugo each carry their own Elo. Your profile shows all three side by side.
Japanese games in your browser
Shogi, Hanafuda and Daifugo each have their own history and character. Yamato.com brings these games to your browser, with rules, tutorials, AI opponents and online play.
Shogi — strategy on the board and in hand
Shogi is a traditional Japanese board game played on a 9×9 board with twenty pieces per player. Captured pieces become your pieces in hand and can be returned to play as drops. Planning where and when to use them adds depth to both attack and defence.
Hanafuda — seasonal artwork and scoring combinations
A Hanafuda deck has 48 cards depicting the plants and seasonal motifs of twelve months. It supports several games; here you can play the two-player game Koi-Koi. Match cards of the same month, collect scoring combinations called yaku, and decide whether to stop or continue.
Daifugo — combinations and timing
Aim to play all your cards before the other players. Eight stops, revolutions and suit locks shape each round. In a match, placements and card exchanges carry consequences into the next deal. Rules vary between groups, so check the rules used on this site before playing.
Getting started
Each game has a rules page and a tutorial. Try the Easy AI to get familiar with the controls and the flow of play at your own pace.
Click or tap to play. Highlights help identify available moves and matching cards; the rules pages explain the terms and restrictions as you learn.