Shishibo Rules
Detailed rules for Shishibo (Shishibochuushin / Enshu-bana). Hand yaku, cut-off yaku, earned yaku, the soba system, and kotsu declarations.
Overview
What is Shishibo?
Shishibo (猪牡忠臣 / Shishibochuushin, also known as Enshu-bana) is a hanafuda game using a soba (stake) system. It is played with 3 players as the base, and up to 3–7 players can participate through the "enter/retire" system. The goal is to score higher than opponents through earned yaku and cut-off yaku. There is no retire fee or chase-out fee.
Setup
Card Points
Willow and Ono no Michikaze
In Shishibo, "Willow and Ono no Michikaze" is treated as an Animal card (10 pts), not a Bright. It does not count as a Bright for soba determination either.
Game Flow
Deal Cards
Deal 6 field cards and 7 hand cards to each player.
Reveal Field Cards
Reveal the field cards and check the number of Bright cards to determine the soba (stake level).
Enter / Retire Declaration
Starting from the dealer counterclockwise, declare whether to participate in the round.
Kotsu Declaration
Only entered players may declare, starting from the dealer, one chance each to raise the soba.
Reveal Hand Yaku
If you have hand yaku, place them face-up in front of you before play begins.
Card Matching
Play a card from hand to match a same-month field card, then flip one from the draw pile to match. If a cut-off yaku is completed, the round ends immediately.
Winner and Settlement
The player with the highest total card points, or who completed a cut-off yaku, wins. The winner collects the soba points from each active player.
Determining Soba — Based on Field Brights
The soba is determined by counting Bright cards (Crane, Curtain, Moon, Phoenix) among the 6 field cards.
Field Type
- Flat field (no Brights): 1-honba
- Bright field (Brights present): Number of Brights + 1 = honba
Soba and Points
- 1-honba: Winner receives 1 point from each active player
- 2-honba: Winner receives 2 points from each active player
- 3-honba+: Winner receives points equal to the honba number from each player
Mizu-Kotsu — Blind Soba Raise
Before the enter/retire declaration, if you have not yet looked at your hand, you may raise the soba. If you declare Mizu-Kotsu, you must enter during the first round of declarations.
Enter / Retire — Choosing to Participate
After cards are dealt, starting from the dealer counterclockwise, declare whether to participate.
- Enter: Announce your participation
- Retire: Announce retirement and return your hand to the draw pile
When 4+ Players Enter
The soba is raised by 1, and another round of declarations occurs until only 3 players remain. There is no upper limit on soba raises from this process.
Kotsu — Soba Raise Declaration
After the enter/retire declaration, only entered players may declare a soba raise, starting from the dealer, one chance each.
- To raise: Declare "Kotsu" (soba goes up by 1)
- Not to raise: Declare "Nashi" (pass)
Hand Yaku (5 Types)
These yaku exist at the time of dealing. Reveal them before play begins.
Shihon (Four-of-a-Month)
4 cards of the same month
Sanbon (Three-of-a-Month)
3 cards of the same month
Soppe (All Chaff)
Entire hand is chaff
Toichi (Animal-One)
1 Animal card, rest all chaff
Tan'ichi (Ribbon-One)
1 Ribbon card, rest all chaff
Hand Yaku Rules
- Shihon / Sanbon: Reveal the relevant cards face-up, then play with them displayed
- Soppe: Reveal all hand cards face-up, then play
- Toichi / Tan'ichi: Briefly reveal all cards for confirmation, then return to hand before playing
- If all 4 cards of Iris, Chrysanthemum, or Paulownia are in hand, declare and redeal
Cut-off Yaku (3 Types)
When any of these yaku are completed, the round ends immediately regardless of remaining cards.
Shikou (Four Brights)
4 Bright cards (excluding Willow)
Akatan (Poetry Ribbons)
3 red poetry ribbons (Pine, Plum, Cherry)
Aotan (Blue Ribbons)
3 blue ribbons (Peony, Chrysanthemum, Maple)
Earned Yaku (8 Types)
These yaku are formed from captured cards. Their points are added to total card points.
Shishibochuushin
Boar (Bush Clover) + Butterflies (Peony) + Ono no Michikaze (Willow)
Shishibo (Boar-Butterflies)
Boar (Bush Clover) + Butterflies (Peony)
Shishichuu (Boar-Michikaze)
Boar (Bush Clover) + Ono no Michikaze (Willow)
Tsuki-Hoto (Moon-Cuckoo)
Moon (Susuki) + Cuckoo (Wisteria)
Negishi
All 4 Iris (May) cards
Kikushi
All 4 Chrysanthemum (Sep) cards
Getashi
All 4 Paulownia (Dec) cards
Fuke
Total captured card points ≤ 15 at round end
Fuke Exception
If Fuke conditions are met, that player wins. However, if the player revealed a hand yaku at the start, Fuke is not valid even if total points are 15 or below.
Winner and Settlement
Determining the Winner
- The player with the highest total card points (captured cards + earned yaku), or who completed a cut-off yaku, wins
- Tiebreaker by seating: Dealer > Middle > Last (Hike)
- The winner collects soba points from each active player and becomes the dealer for the next round
- Play an agreed number of rounds (typically 12 rounds = one year); the player with the most accumulated points wins overall
Settlement Example (2-honba, Akatan, 3 players)
Soba = 2 (honba) × 2 (Akatan multiplier) = 4 pts
Winner: Receives 4 pts from each of the other 2 players = +8 pts
Loser A: −4 pts
Loser B: −4 pts