In the small town of Kawara in Fukuoka Prefecture, something unexpected is happening at the Saidosho Community Center. While kids in most parts of Japan are obsessed with Pokémon cards — or perhaps the franchise’s latest smartphone game, Pokémon TCG Pocket — the children of Kawara are clutching to something a little closer to home.
They are playing a trading card game (TCG) where the stars aren’t fantasy creatures, anime heroes or even famous baseball players, but ojisan (middle-aged or older men) from the local community of Saidosho.
Image: Mayuko Ichii | edits by TW
A Card Game With a Local Twist
On the surface, this Ojisan TCG looks like any other collectible card game. As of March 18, there are 47 different cards in the collection, including 28 featuring local men with stats and special abilities.
Take the Firewall card, for example. It features Mr. Honda (74), a former fire brigade chief who helped keep the town safe for decades. Then there’s Soba Master Mr. Takeshita (81), who runs a local soba noodle-making class and now holds legendary status among the town’s youth.
The most popular of them all is probably All-Rounder Mr. Fujii (68), a former prison officer turned community volunteer. His card is so sought after that local kids have even started asking him for autographs.
“I was honestly shocked when they asked me to sign it,” Mr. Fujii said, laughing. “I never imagined I’d become a trading card, let alone have fans.”
Each card comes with different attacks and an assigned elemental type — just like a classic fantasy card game — but with a humorous, real-world edge. For instance, Firewall is, unsurprisingly, a fire type, equipped with a Super Guard move, which deals a hefty 200 damage.
A card called Plasma Conductor, featuring a smiling, bespectacled ojisan juxtaposed with an image of a lightbulb, is an electric type. At the bottom of the card, there is a line of text explaining how he can fix any electrical appliance without fail.
Screenshot taken from FNN Prime Online
From Collecting to Battling
The creator of the game is Eri Miyahara, the Secretary General of the Saidosho Community Council.
“We wanted to strengthen the connection between the children and the older generations in the community. There are so many amazing people here. I thought it was such a shame that no one knew about them,” she said in an interview with Fuji News Network (FNN). “Since the card game went viral, so many kids are starting to look up to these men as heroic figures.”
The plan worked. Kids have started attending local events and volunteering for community activities — just for a chance to meet the ojisan from their cards. Participation in town events has reportedly doubled since the game launched.
Interestingly, Ojisan TCG didn’t start as a competitive game. The first set of cards was designed purely for collecting, but the local children quickly turned it into something more dynamic. They began comparing stats and declaring, “My card is stronger than yours.”
Seeing this, the game’s creator decided to take it to the next level. New rules were introduced, allowing the cards to be used in actual battles. The objective isn’t to defeat the opponent’s card but to outplay it based on the characters’ skills and abilities.
The rarity of a card isn’t based on fantasy stats — it’s tied to real-world contributions. The more actively the ojisan engages in volunteer work or community service, the higher the chances of their card being upgraded to a shiny version with a glossy laminated effect.
While the cards — all made entirely by hand — are currently in high demand and often out of stock, they are only available for sale at the Saidosho Community Center.
A pack of three cards costs ¥100, while a pack of six cards — including a shiny card — costs ¥500. Despite the limited supply, demand remains high, with many kids saving their pocket money for a chance to score a shiny version of their favorite ojisan.
