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Yu-Gi-Oh. Pokémon. Magic: The Gathering. These are some of the world’s most popular trading card games (TCGs), and yet children in Kawara, a small town in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture, are opting for something a little more unique. Their homegrown TCG doesn’t feature fire-breathing dragons, gigantic orcs, or wand-wielding wizards—it features middle-aged and elderly men (ojisan).
This particular, unconventional TCG is the brainchild of Eri Miyahara, the secretary general of the Saidosho Community Council, and already boasts 47 different cards. These range from a Firewall card, depicting the 74-year-old Mr. Honda, a former fire brigade chief, to one honoring 81-year-old Mr. Takeshita, who runs a soba noodle-making class. Like other TCGs, this collection spans several attacks, elemental types, and stats, offering a humorous contour to the character and communal impact of local ojisan.
It’s precisely this personal dimension that inspired Miyahara to create the TCG in the first place. “We wanted to strengthen the connection between the children and the older generations in the community,” she explained in an interview with Fuji News Network (FNN). “There are so many amazing people here. I thought it was such a shame that no one knew about them.”
Her mission seems to be working: the TCG has exploded in popularity, with participation in town events reportedly doubling since its launch. The 68-year-old Mr. Fujii, a particularly popular ojisan and former prison officer turned community volunteer, has even been approached for autographs.
“I was honestly shocked when [kids] asked me to sign [their cards],” Mr. Fujii said, with a laugh. “I never imagined I’d become a trading card, let alone have fans.”
Many children have begun saving pocket money for a chance at shiny cards, which can be found in packs of six (these cost only ¥500, or about $3.50). A pack of three cards ring in at ¥100, equivalent to about 70¢.
In her interview with FNN, Miyahara added: “Since the game went viral, so many kids are starting to look up to these men as heroic figures.”
Looks like her gambit paid off.
In a small Japanese town, trading cards featuring local middle-aged and elderly men have gripped children and boosted community engagement.
Sources: Middle-Aged Man Trading Cards Go Viral in Rural Japan Town; Trading Cards Starring Middle-Aged Men Go Viral in Japanese Town, Boosting Volunteerism and Respect for Elders
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