Japanese Town Turns Its Middle-Aged Men Into Pokémon-Inspired Trading Cards

You may be familiar with the Pokémon Trading Card Game, which allows fans to collect cards, build decks, and battle with their favorite monsters from the franchise. But have you ever wanted a game with a trading card specifically dedicated to you? A group of men in a small, rural Japanese town get to live that dream.

According to Boing Boing, the “Ojisan Trading Card Game” is a staple in Kawara, Fukuoka Prefecture. It imagines 28 members of the community as collectible characters. While ojisan can mean “uncle,” in this case the Japanese term refers to an older man. That means all the playable characters in the unique card game are at least middle-aged.

Each card has moves and stats related to the resident’s job and special talents. For example, 74-year-old Mr. Honda was a fire brigade chief, earning his character the title “Firewall” and a “Super Guard” move. An 81-year-old elder named Mr. Takeshita was dubbed “Soba Master” after teaching people how to make noodles. 

Eri Miyahara, the Saidosho Community Council Secretary General, is behind the ojisan game. She told the Fuji News Network (FNN) that her goal was to lessen the generational gap between the community’s children and older adults. 

It seems like Miyahara’s plan is working. The ojisan card game is a hit with the town’s children, with many now attending local events, hoping to see the ojisans out in the wild. In fact, the number of event attendees has doubled since the card game debuted. One former prison officer, Mr. Fujii (68), has become so popular that kids often ask him to sign the trading card showing his face.

Ojisan cards are only available at the Saidosho Community Center, where residents can buy a pack of three cards for 100￥(about $0.70). A six-card pack with a shiny (rare) version of an ojisan runs for 500￥($3.50). 

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