Have you ever played the board game Monopoly? It has been around for a little over 100 years and has been a number one rated game since it was created. So the answer is most likely a yes. But if not, it is a game in which you work your way around the board, collecting money and properties as you go. It really is a classic game that families have enjoyed for decades. And many more versions of the game have been released since the original. One of these versions was just released last year to celebrate the 300th anniversary of Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten, a traditional Japanese craft store. This company’s vision was and continues to be to revitalize Japanese art. After the Meiji era, Japan saw a huge lifestyle change from the increase of western influence. Because of this change numerous customs were forgotten, including Japanese traditional art. And it is their mission to bring it back. Japanese Traditional Art Craft Edition Monopoly keeps with basics of the original game but instead of buying properties you buy Craft Centers, workshops, and department stores. Throughout the game you get to learn about the history of traditional crafts and what is involved in creating and selling them. The board itself is really pretty. It has your classic spaces like “free parking”, “go to jail”, and “collect 200 when you pass go”. But unlike the classic board it has a beautiful Ninomiya leaf pattern in pretty colors. And the player pieces are shaped like Japanese folk capsule toys. You can use a pheasant, pigeon, or a deer which is the symbol of Nara, the city Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten was founded. If you’re worried that you will not be able to play this game because you can’t read Japanese, don’t. The board and cards are in Japanese and English. So have fun playing Monopoly while learning about one of Japan’s oldest customs.
