The History of Sugoroku

■Separation of Dice and Board

Board Sugoroku has come to pre-moderm age while repeating widely spread and prohibited since its arrival in Japan.
And, the very definitive reason of its decline in Edo era is that the dice went apart from the board and became a gambling tool which provides a quick results. Then Sugoroku stepped in another path back to a gentle play again while having gotten rid of the feature of gambling.

Sugoroku was acknowledged as good taste for young women's accomplishments in the age of Bunka-bunsei in Edo era. It has so softened and changed its image that Sugoroku-hitori-Geiko (1811) by Ohara Kikuo describes even the way how to play Sugoroku like below:

A fortunate bride should take with her a koto and a Sugoroku board. (omit) Once, a daughter of rich family shamed herself so seriously because she didn't know how to play Sugoroku after her marriage. Do not pick the dice before your partner finishes moving his/her piece. Do not shake the dice in hidden angle of the board. Shake your dice within the pot above your breast belt. Do not drop the dice out of the board. Do not hitch the pieces with the pot. Do not put your finger on the edge of the shaking pot.

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