Gotta catch all grandpas: Japanese town turns seniors into trading card stars

FNN video screenshot

In a small Japanese town, children are trading cards featuring local grandfathers instead of Pokémon, turning ordinary community members into neighborhood celebrities.

The "Ojisan Trading Card Game" in Kawara, Fukuoka Prefecture, has transformed 28 middle-aged and elderly men into collectible characters, complete with stats and special abilities. As reported in Tokyo Weekender, the game has doubled participation in town events as children eagerly seek out these real-life heroes.

The cards showcase actual community members with practical superpowers. Former fire brigade chief Mr. Honda, 74, appears as "Firewall" with a powerful Super Guard move. Mr. Takeshita, 81, earned his card as "Soba Master" for teaching noodle-making classes. Former prison officer Mr. Fujii, now a community volunteer, has become so popular that kids ask for his autograph.

Eri Miyahara, Secretary General of the Saidosho Community Council, created the game to bridge generational gaps. The cards' rarity system is uniquely tied to real-world impact— the more an ojisan volunteers in the community, the better chance their card gets upgraded to a glossy version.

"Since the card game went viral, so many kids are starting to look up to these men as heroic figures," Miyahara told Fuji News Network. The cards, handmade and sold at the community center for 100-500 yen per pack, regularly sell out as children save their allowance to collect their favorite neighborhood heroes.