Tokaido
Tokaido Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Object of the Game
Each player travels the Tokaido from Kyoto to Edo, earning Journey points along the way for the experiences they collect. Journey points are scored throughout the game, immediately as they are earned. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins.
Equipment
- 1 Game board
- 5 Traveler pieces
- 5 Travel point markers
- 5 Player color tokens (bags)
- 50 Coins
- 10 Traveler tiles
- 12 Hot Spring cards
- 60 Panorama cards
- 25 Meal cards
- 24 Souvenir cards
- 14 Encounter cards
- 7 Achievement cards
Set-up
- Place the game board on a flat surface.
- Take the Achievement cards and place them face up next to the board.
- Shuffle the Meal cards (red back) and make a face-down pile.
- Shuffle the Souvenir cards (brown back) and make a face-down pile.
- Shuffle the Encounter cards (purple back) and make a face-down pile.
- Shuffle the Hot Spring cards (light blue back) and make a face-down pile.
- Sort the Panorama cards by type (Sea, Mountain, Paddy) and by value (placing the 1 above the 2 above the 3, etc.). Place the resulting piles on their corresponding locations on the board.
- Place the coins next to the board as a reserve.
Each player selects a Traveler piece and the correspondingly colored marker and color token (bag). Place the marker on square 0 of the path that records Journey points.
Each player then takes 2 Traveler tiles at random, chooses one, and places it face up on the table in front of them. The player then places their color token (bag) in the hole of their Traveler tile. Place all unchosen and unused tiles back in the box, out of play.
Each player receives coins equal to the number in the upper right corner of their chosen tile; this constitutes their bank at the start of the journey.
Finally, randomly place all of the Traveler pieces in a line at the 1st Inn (Kyoto).
Playing the Game
In Tokaido, the player whose Traveler is farthest behind on the road (with respect to the destination) is the player who takes the next turn.
This player must move their Traveler forward — that is, toward Edo — to the open space of their choice, freely passing over one or more open spaces if they wish.
Once the Traveler has moved, the player receives the benefit corresponding to that type of space.
In most cases, after a Traveler has moved, another Traveler is now last on the road, and it becomes that player's turn. Sometimes the last Traveler may still be last after moving, in which case that player goes again immediately.
Travelers immediately score all points earned during the journey.
Single / double spaces
Some of the spaces on the board are doubled. When a Traveler lands on a double space, they must occupy the space located on the road if it is free; a Traveler who arrives after them must occupy the second space.
Double spaces are used only in games with 4 or 5 players. When playing with 2 or 3 players, the second space — the one off the road — cannot be occupied.
Description of the Spaces
Each move leaves a Traveler on one of the 8 types of spaces or one of the Inn spaces. In the descriptions below, a "collection" refers to all of the cards a player has acquired (and placed face up) during the game.
Village
The player draws the first 3 Souvenir cards from the pile and places them face up in front of them. They can then purchase one or more of these cards by paying the price indicated on each card (1, 2, or 3 coins). Any unpurchased cards are placed face down on the bottom of the pile.
A Traveler must have at least 1 coin to stop in a Village, but is not required to purchase any souvenirs.
Each Souvenir is different and belongs to one of 4 types: small objects, clothing, art, and food & drinks. To score the maximum number of points, players need to collect Souvenirs of each type — though you can purchase and score Souvenirs of any type.
As you purchase Souvenir cards, group them into sets in front of you; each set can contain only one Souvenir of each type.
- The first Souvenir in a set, no matter which type it is, is worth 1 point.
- The second Souvenir in a set, which must be of a different type than the first, is worth 3 points.
- The third Souvenir in a set, which must be of a different type than the first two, is worth 5 points.
- The fourth Souvenir in a set, which must be of a different type than the first three, is worth 7 points.
Souvenirs cost 1, 2, or 3 coins. They are worth 1, 3, 5, or 7 points depending on the actual Souvenirs in a player's collection. The player earns these points at the time they add the cards to their collection.
Examples of souvenir collecting:
- 1 souvenir: 1 point.
- 2 souvenirs of different types: 4 points (1+3).
- 3 souvenirs of different types: 9 points (1+3+5).
- 4 souvenirs of different types: 16 points (1+3+5+7).
- 3 souvenirs, all of the same type (three separate sets): 3 points (1+1+1).
- 3 souvenirs, two of one type and one of another: 5 points (1+1+3).
- 4 souvenirs forming two sets of two different types each: 8 points (1+3+1+3).
Farm
The player takes 3 coins from the reserve and adds them to their bank. There is no limit to the number of coins a player can accumulate.
Panorama
Panoramas are made of 3, 4, or 5 sections, in three types: Sea, Mountain, and Paddy.
When a player stops on a Panorama Station, if they don't yet have any Panorama cards of that type, they take a Panorama card of value "1". Otherwise, they take the next number in ascending order.
The player immediately scores a number of points equal to the value of the card (1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 depending on the panorama).
Note: Each Traveler can create only a single panorama of each type; a Traveler who completes a panorama can no longer stop on the spaces corresponding to that type (Sea, Mountain, or Paddy).
Hot Spring
The player takes a Hot Spring card from the pile and adds it to their collection. These cards are worth 2 or 3 points.
Temple
The player donates 1, 2, or 3 coins to the temple, placing them on the Temple section of the board in the area corresponding to their color. The player immediately scores 1 point for each donated coin.
Note: A Traveler who stops on a Temple space must donate at least 1 coin as an offering and cannot donate more than 3 coins.
Encounters
The player reveals the top card of the Encounter pile and applies the effect. After carrying out an effect, the player adds the card to their collection.
- Shokunin (Traveling merchant): The player draws the top Souvenir card from the pile and adds it to their collection. It scores 1, 3, 5, or 7 points depending on which Souvenirs they already own.
- Annaibito (Guide): If the player has not yet started the depicted panorama, they take a value 1 card of the appropriate type. If they have started it, they take the next number in ascending order. If they have completed it, they can start or add to another panorama of their choice. They score points for the Panorama card as usual.
- Samurai: The player immediately scores 3 points.
- Kuge (Noble): The player immediately takes 3 coins from the reserve and adds them to their bank.
- Miko (Shinto priest): The player immediately takes 1 coin from the bank and places it as an offering in the Temple in the area corresponding to their color. They score 1 point for this donation.
Inns
The Inns are special spaces, and all Travelers must stop at each Inn. The Inns are the places where players can buy Meal cards. Meal cards cost 1, 2, or 3 coins and all give 6 victory points.
The player looks at the drawn Meal cards without showing them to other players. They can then purchase one Meal card of their choice by paying the price marked on the card. They add this card, face up, to their collection and place the remaining cards next to the board, face down. Each Meal card is worth 6 points, scored at the time the card is added to the collection.
Important:
- A Traveler cannot taste the same culinary specialty twice during their journey.
- A Traveler can never purchase more than one Meal card per Inn.
- A Traveler is never obliged to purchase a Meal card.
Arriving at an Inn
The Inns are mandatory stopovers for all Travelers on the way to Edo, so naturally the Inn spaces can hold all of the Travelers at the same time. These Inn spaces are shown on the board in red.
The order that players arrive at an Inn is important. The first Traveler occupies the space nearest the road, and later Travelers form a line after him.
When the first Traveler arrives at an Inn, they draw as many Meal cards as there are players, plus 1. (For example, in a game with 3 players, they draw 4 cards.) They then purchase a Meal (if they wish) and must wait for the other Travelers to arrive at the Inn. Upon arrival, each Traveler can (possibly) purchase one of the remaining Meal cards.
The first Traveler to arrive at the Inn therefore has more choice than the last.
Example, in a game with four players:
- The first Traveler arrives at the Inn; they draw 5 Meal cards (4 players + 1) and choose their Meal from among these 5 cards.
- The second Traveler arrives at the Inn; they choose their Meal from among the 4 remaining cards.
- The third Traveler arrives at the Inn; they'd like to choose a Meal from among the 3 remaining cards, but they don't have enough money to pay. They cannot take a Meal card and go hungry at this stop.
- The fourth Traveler arrives at the Inn with 3 Meal cards from which to choose (as the previous Traveler did not purchase a Meal). They purchase one, then place the remaining cards at the bottom of the pile.
Continuing the Journey
Once all Travelers have arrived at the Inn and had a chance to taste the local cuisine, the journey can continue:
- Place unpurchased Meal cards on the bottom of the appropriate pile.
- The last Traveler on the route — that is, the one farthest from the Inn — takes the next turn and starts out on the road again.
End of the Journey
When all of the Travelers have arrived in Edo at the last Inn, the game ends.
Award the four end-game Achievement cards (Gourmet, Bather, Chatterbox, Collector) to the appropriate Travelers (see below).
The Travelers score additional points depending on their ranking as donors to the Temple:
- The most generous donor scores 10 points.
- The second scores 7 points.
- The third scores 4 points.
- All other donors score 2 points.
In the event of a tie, all tied players score points from that rank; e.g., two players tied for first place score 10 points each. Travelers who haven't donated a single coin to the Temple do not score any points.
Example: at the end of one journey, the Yellow Traveler in 1st place scores 10 points; the Blue and Green Travelers tied for 2nd place each score 7 points; the White and Purple Travelers score no points as they did not donate anything.
The player with the most points wins the game. In the event of a tie, the tied player with the most Achievement cards wins.
Journey points are scored throughout the game. However, if you think you have made a mistake, your collection allows you to recount your points at the end of the game.
Achievement Cards
Seven Achievement cards are distributed to the Travelers: 3 during the game and 4 at the end of it.
Panorama Achievement Cards
Three cards are given during the travel to Edo. The first Traveler to complete a panorama of a particular type receives the Achievement card corresponding to this panorama. Each Panorama Achievement card immediately gives 3 points.
Other Achievement Cards
These cards are awarded to players at the end of the journey.
- Gourmet: The Traveler with the highest sum of coins on their Meal cards receives this Achievement card and scores 3 points.
- Bather: The Traveler who has the most Hot Spring cards receives this Achievement card and scores 3 points.
- Chatterbox: The Traveler who has the most Encounter cards receives this Achievement card and scores 3 points.
- Collector: The Traveler who has the most Souvenir cards receives this Achievement card and scores 3 points.
If two or more Travelers are tied for first for any of the achievements, they each score 3 points.
Description of the Travelers
Each Traveler tile grants its player a unique ability.
- Hiroshige the artist: When Hiroshige arrives at each of the 3 intermediate Inns, before the Meal he takes 1 Panorama card of his choice, scoring the points for this card immediately.
- Chuubei the messenger: When Chuubei arrives at each of the 3 intermediate Inns, before the Meal he draws 1 Encounter card and applies its effect.
- Kinko the ronin: Each Meal card purchased by Kinko costs one coin less. (Meals that cost 1 are therefore free.)
- Yoshiyasu the functionary: During each Encounter, Yoshiyasu draws 2 Encounter cards, keeps the one he wishes, then places the other card at the bottom of the pile (without showing it to the other players).
- Satsuki the orphan: When she arrives at an Inn, Satsuki receives one of the available Meal cards at random for free. Note: After seeing the Meal offered to her, she can instead purchase a Meal as normal like other players.
- Mitsukuni the old man: Mitsukuni earns 1 additional point for each Hot Spring card and each Achievement card.
- Sasayakko the geisha: In the Village, if Sasayakko purchases at least two Souvenir cards, the cheapest Souvenir is free. Note: She must have the coins on hand to pay for all Souvenirs, but she doesn't pay for the cheapest one.
- Hirotada the priest: Each time he stops at the Temple, Hirotada can take one coin from the bank and donate it to the Temple, scoring 1 point for this coin. This is in addition to the 1, 2, or 3 coins he can personally donate to the Temple.
- Umegae the street entertainer: Umegae earns 1 point and 1 coin for each Encounter before the effects of the drawn Encounter card are applied.
- Zen-emon the merchant: Once per Village, Zen-emon can purchase one Souvenir for 1 coin instead of the marked price.
Special Rules for Two-Player Games
Two-player games have somewhat different rules. The rules otherwise remain exactly the same.
During set-up, add a third Traveler — the Neutral Traveler — to the starting Inn. (Determine the order of the three Travelers at random.) As with the Travelers controlled by players, this Neutral Traveler must be moved when he is last on the road.
The player whose Traveler is in the lead moves the Neutral Traveler. Note: Neutral Traveler movements are an important part of two-player games and are the key to winning.
Neutral Traveler movements have no effect on the game, except at Temple and Inn spaces:
- When the Neutral Traveler stops on a Temple space, take a coin from the bank and place it on the space corresponding to his color. Thus, the Neutral Traveler is involved at the end of the game when calculating the additional points connected to Temple offerings.
- With two players, the first player at the Inn draws four Meal cards. When the Neutral Traveler stops on an Inn space, the player who moved him takes the Meal cards and discards one at random. Place this card on the bottom of the pile without revealing it.
Excepting these two cases, the rest of the game plays with the usual rules.
Variations
You can mix and match these variations when you play; they can also be used in the two-player version.
Journey of Initiation
If you are new to Tokaido or if you want to show it to others, you can use this simplified variation: leave the Traveler tiles in the box and give 7 coins to each player at the start of the game. You can now learn the game without having to worry about the various characteristics of the Travelers.
Return Trip
Although the traditional Tokaido journey starts at Kyoto and goes to Edo, nothing prevents players from traveling in the other direction, starting at Edo and traveling to Kyoto.
Gastronomy
When arriving at the Inns, the first Traveler draws a number of Meal cards equal to the number of players (instead of drawing one card more than the number of players). Each Traveler now has one fewer choice on the menu, which makes the order of arrival at Inns more tactical.
Preparations
The order of departure has an impact on the Travelers' first moves, with the first to leave having more choice than the last. To compensate for this slight handicap, experienced players may wish to incorporate this variation.
Depending on the order in which they leave the first Inn, each Traveler's starting bank is modified. This adjustment applies solely at the start of the game and not at later Inns.
Example, with four players:
- The last player to leave Kyoto starts the game with 2 additional coins.
- The third player to leave starts with 1 additional coin.
- The second player to leave receives their Bank as normal.
- The first player to leave removes one coin from their Bank before departing Kyoto.
Note: Remember that players must choose their Traveler tile before the starting order is determined at random.