Menko (1700)

Menko is a Japanese game for two or more players. Originating during the middle Edo period (1700s), Menko was a popular children's game during that time. The objective of the game is to flip the other players' cards or cardboard chips by striking the play area from above with a card or chip from the hand. The purpose is to create a gust of wind with the intent of flipping over one or more cards on the table. If a card is flipped, the player gets to keep it. The game continues until one player has won a set number or all of the cards in the game, and this player is the winner. Menko cards are often decorated with images of power and military from the time. They continue to be made today in Japan. It is assumed that Menko was brought to Hawaii at some point during the early 20th-century and eventually evolved into another popular and similar game, Pogs.