史Japan & History

The games of chance Japan actually played — from Edo dice dens to the company that became Nintendo.

史 JAPAN & HISTORY

Mahjong in Japan: the 1924 boom and a century in the grey zone

2026-09-11 · 8 MIN史 JAPAN & HISTORY

Takarakuji: Japan’s lottery, from temple tomikuji to a billion yen

2026-09-11 · 8 MIN史 JAPAN & HISTORY

Ban-sugoroku: the dice game Japan banned in 689, and the master who said play not to lose

2026-09-08 · 8 MIN史 JAPAN & HISTORY

Chō or han: the fairest game Japan ever ran

2026-08-31 · 9 MIN史 JAPAN & HISTORY

Pachinko: how Japan built a gambling industry in a country where gambling is illegal

2026-08-07 · 8 MIN史 JAPAN & HISTORY

Oicho-Kabu: the card game that gave the yakuza their name

2026-08-07 · 7 MIN史 JAPAN & HISTORY

Chinchiro: the real rules of Japan’s street dice game — with exact payouts

2026-07-24 · 9 MIN史 JAPAN & HISTORY

Before Mario: Nintendo spent 66 years as a gambling-card company

2026-07-24 · 7 MIN史 JAPAN & HISTORY

Omikuji: the shrine lottery that predates every casino

2026-07-24 · 6 MIN

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