1956 Karuta Set
Description: This is a karuta set and not a menko set, but I thought I'd include it on this site since it is from the era. Karuta is a popular game in Japan and these cards are from an alphabet karuta set; hence the Japanese hiragana on the front of the cards. The set that I have found isn't quite complete but has almost all the popular rikishi of the era as well as corresponding reader cards.
Company: Unknown Availability: Rikishi cards: Scarce, Reader cards: Rare
Card Size: 2.5" X 3.5" Card Material: Thin, Paper stock
# of Cards: 45 rikishi cards, 45 Reader Cards Packaging: Sheets
Key Cards: Any Yokozuna
Front Design: A photo of the rikishi standing in their kesho-mawashi. Several menko have other sumo scenes and will be indicated below. Background is a solid pastel color and the corresponding Hiragana character is in the upper right or left on each card. The character is printed in white and is in a blue or red circle.
Back Design: Backs are blank
Tsunenoyama
+ Reader Card |
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| Banzuke Checklist | Hiragana Checklist | ||||||
| Rank | Shikona | Hiragana Letter | Rank | Shikona | Hiragana Letter | ||
| Yokozuna | Chiyonoyama | I | Maegashira | Tsunenoyama | A | ||
| Yokozuna | Yoshibayama | Ni | Yokozuna | Chiyonoyama | I | ||
| Yokozuna | Kagamisato | No | U | ||||
| Yokozuna | Sekiwake | Asashio | E | ||||
| Ozeki | Ouchiyama | Ta | Maegashira | Onobori | O | ||
| Ozeki | Matsunobori | Ma | Maegashira | Tamanoumi | Ka | ||
| Ozeki | Wakanohana | Ri | Maegashira | Daitenryu | Ki | ||
| Ozeki | Wakanoyama | Yu | Warmup | Ku | |||
| Sekiwake | Asashio | E | Maegashira | Tochihikari | Ke | ||
| Sekiwake | Dewanishiki | He | Maegashira | Wakasegawa | Ko | ||
| Sekiwake | Tsurugamine | Re | Sa | ||||
| Komusubi | Tokitsuyama | Nu | Shi | ||||
| Maegashira | Tsunenoyama | A | Maegashira | Narutoumi | Su | ||
| Maegashira | Onobori | O | Se | ||||
| Maegashira | Tamanoumi | Ka | Maegashira | Naruyama | So | ||
| Maegashira | Daitenryu | Ki | Ozeki | Ouchiyama | Ta | ||
| Maegashira | Tochihikari | Ke | Chi | ||||
| Maegashira | Wakasegawa | Ko | Maegashira | Futatsuryu | Tsu | ||
| Maegashira | Narutoumi | Su | Te | ||||
| Maegashira | Naruyama | So | To | ||||
| Maegashira | Futatsuryu | Tsu | Na | ||||
| Maegashira | Otachi | Ne | Yokozuna | Yoshibayama | Ni | ||
| Maegashira | Ohikari | Ha | Komusubi | Tokitsuyama | Nu | ||
| Maegashira | Kuninobori | Hi | Maegashira | Otachi | Ne | ||
| Maegashira | Shimanishiki | Ho | Yokozuna | Kagamisato | No | ||
| Maegashira | Shinobuyama | Me | Maegashira | Ohikari | Ha | ||
| Maegashira | Kiyoenami | Ro | Maegashira | Kuninobori | Hi | ||
| Maegashira | Mitsuneyama | Yo | Taiko Drumming | Fu | |||
| Maegashira | Wakamaeda | Wa | Sekiwake | Dewanishiki | He | ||
| Maegashira | Maegashira | Shimanishiki | Ho | ||||
| Maegashira | Ozeki | Matsunobori | Ma | ||||
| Maegashira | Mi | ||||||
| Maegashira | Gyoji | Mu | |||||
| Maegashira | Maegashira | Shinobuyama | Me | ||||
| Maegashira | Mo | ||||||
| Maegashira | Tachiai | Ra | |||||
| Maegashira | Ozeki | Wakanohana | Ri | ||||
| Maegashira | Ru | ||||||
| Maegashira | Sekiwake | Tsurugamine | Re | ||||
| Maegashira | Maegashira | Kiyoenami | Ro | ||||
| Warmup | Ku | Komusubi | Hajimayama | Ya | |||
| Taiko Drumming | Fu | Ozeki | Wakanoyama | Yu | |||
| Gyoji | Mu | Maegashira | Mitsuneyama | Yo | |||
| Tachiai | Ra | Maegashira | Wakamaeda | Wa | |||
| O | |||||||