Sugoroku: A Classic Japanese Game

Art and Amusement

Sugoroku is a Japanese board game similar to Western games like snakes (or chutes) and ladders. Players throw a die and advance their pieces around the board. It became popular in the Edo period (1603–1868), initially with religious themes, but later expanding to represent such topics as travel to famous places or a journey through life. Many sugoroku boards featured high-quality artistic illustrations.

The game is still commonly played by children today, and some modern versions are themed around manga or popular television shows. It is traditionally associated with being played at New Year.

Find Out More

• Information about sugoroku by the National Diet Library, Japan.

(Originally written in English. Banner image: A sugoroku board game based on Jippensha Ikku’s Shank’s Mare about travel on the Tōkaidō highway between Edo [now Tokyo] and Kyoto, with illustrations by Utagawa Hiroshige. Courtesy National Diet Library.)