19 April 2014br>

   Hanafuda are Japanese flower cards dating back to 1603.  Helen Nakano and her assistants taught us about the history and symbolism of hanafuda, some of the stories behind the images, and how the game is played in Hawai'i.  She even brought cards unique to Hawai'i, in two sizes, complete with point values and additional symbols to help us understand and score the game.  We then broke into small groups and played several variations ranging from solitaire to more complex games requiring strategies to defeat your opponents.  Everyone was having so much fun we couldn't believe how quickly 3pm came around!