Sugoroku (双六) refers to two different forms of Japanese board game, one similar to western backgammon and the other similar to western Snakes and Ladders. A board game is any game played on a board (that is, a premarked surface) with counters or pieces that are moved across the board. ... Close-up of modern backgammon set. ... Snakes and ladders is a classic childrens board game played between 2 or more players on a playing board with numbered grid squares. ...

Sugoroku plays identically to backgammon (it even has the same starting position), except for the following differences:

1. Doubles are not special. Even if a person roll doubles, each die still only counts once.
2. There is no "bearing off". The goal is to move all of one's men to within the last six spaces of the board.
3. There is no doubling cube: it was invented in United States during the 1920s.
4. It is unfair to use the 'prime' technique (making a zone of 6 contiguous points through which the opponent player is unable to travel)

Referred to as the Jazz Age or primarily in North America and in Australia as the Roaring Twenties . In Europe it is sometimes refered to as the Golden Twenties. ...

History

The game is thought to have been introduced from China (where it was known as Shuang-liu) into Japan in the sixth century. It is known that in the centuries following the game's introduction into Japan it was made illegal several times, most prominently in 689 and 754. This is because the simple and luck-based nature of sugoroku made it an ideal gambling game. This version of sugoroku and records of playing for gambling continuously appeared until early Edo era. In early Edo-era, a new and quick gambling game called Hanchō (半丁) appeared and using sugoroku for gambling quickly dwindled. This Buddhist stela from China, Northern Wei period, was built in the early 6th century. ... Events Battle of Coronate: The army of Cunincpert, king of the Lombards, defeat the followers of the usurper Alahis on the Adda River. ... Events Pope Stephen III crowns Pepin the short King of the Franks at St. ...

This variant of the backgammon family has died out in most other countries, but it is still popular in Japan, partially due to a boost caused by the inclusion of a free Sugoroku board with the first issue of the newspaper Kingu (in 1925) which sold 740,000 copies. 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ...

A simpler sugoroku, with the similar rules as Snakes and Ladders appeared as early as late 13th century and helped by the cheap and elaborate wooden block printing technology of Edo period, it became a popular game. Thousands of variations of boards were made with pictures and themes from religion, political, actors, and even adult material. In Meiji and later period, this variation of game remained popular often included as a game in kid-oriented magazines. Snakes and ladders is a classic childrens board game played between 2 or more players on a playing board with numbered grid squares. ...

In 1968, Takara introduced Jinsei Game (人生ゲーム Jinsei Gēmu) as a Japanese version of The Game of Life and this became an instant hit by using a roulette instead of dice and by offering alternative goals beside quickly reaching the goal. This game was periodically updated introducing many timely topics and sold over 10 million sets to date. Takara Toys was a Japanese toy company founded in 1955. ... See also the cellular automaton Game of Life devised by mathematician John Conway. ...

Sugoroku also became games in Famicom and other video games. The most famous title is a comical Momotarō Dentetsu (桃太郎電鉄) or Momoden. (The name is a pun on "Momotarō Densetsu" [桃太郎伝説], an RPG based on the traditional folktale that was released prior to this game). Mixing ideas of sugoroku with Monopoly, the goal is to buy local companies and shops travelling all over Japan using trains, ships, and airplanes and becoming richest person while avoiding traps and Bimbōgami (貧乏神), lit. the god of poverty. This game is in its 12th version with numerous updates. The Nintendo Entertainment System (U.S., Europe, and Australia) NES redirects here. ... In economics, a monopoly (from the Greek monos, one + polein, to sell) is defined as a persistent market situation where there is only one provider of a kind of product or service. ...

The Yu-Gi-Oh! character Sugoroku Mutou (a.k.a. Solomon Moto) is named after the Sugoroku that is similar to Backgammon. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Sugoroku Mutou (武藤 双六 Mutō Sugoroku), known as Solomon Muto in the English anime, is a fictional character in the manga and anime series Yu-Gi-Oh!. In the English manga, his family name is usually spelled Mutou but is sometimes rendered as Mutoh. ...

Sources

• Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 1, No. 3/4. (November 1936), p. 434.
• Monumenta Nipponica, Vol. 43, No. 4. (Winter, 1988), pp. 468.

External link

• Sugoroku Net