Menko (めんこ,
Menko has been popular since the Edo period. They were originally known as men'uchi (
The pictures on these cards reflect the popular culture of their time, and Menko cards from the past reflect important information about their era. In the Edo and early Meiji period, images like ninja and samurai were popular. Before World War II, the most popular images were of the military, like fighter planes and battleships. After the war, characters from anime and manga were popular, as well as baseball players. Collectors of Japanese baseball cards collect baseball menko. In the late 1980s to early 1990s, Menko cards were decorated with holographs and sparkles.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Salter, rebecca; Japanese popular prints: from votive slips to playing cards, University of Hawaii Press, 2006, ISBN 978-0-8248-3083-0 p182
- ^ Shūichi Katō, Chia-ning Chang; A sheep's song: a writer's reminiscences of Japan and the world, University of California Press, 1999, ISBN 978-0-520-21979-3 p48