Nippon

About this board game

Nippon is a fast-paced economic area-majority game for 2–4 players, with approximately 120 minutes of play, set during Japan’s Meiji period. Players lead powerful Zaibatsu as the country transforms from a closed, feudal society into a modern industrialized nation.

The Empire is opening to the world, bringing in western technicians and scholars, building railroads, and pursuing an exceptionally rapid industrial revolution. As one of the great conglomerates supporting the Meiji Emperor, you must develop a connected network of companies and grow your influence across the Japanese islands.

Your strategy begins with the traditional silk workshops that formed the foundations of the Zaibatsu. From there, you can diversify your corporation and compete in a changing economy by investing in industries, improving technological knowledge, shipping goods to foreign countries, and using goods to satisfy local needs.

• Invest in new industries and expand your corporate power.
• Improve technological knowledge to develop your Zaibatsu.
• Ship goods abroad or use them to meet domestic needs.
• Compete for influence over the regions of Japan.

Every action helps shape your path toward new opportunities, but choosing which industries to develop is crucial. The strongest position comes from carefully balancing investment, production, trade, and influence as the nation changes around you.

With challenging decisions and a focused economic design, Nippon captures an important moment in Japanese history: the emergence of a new great nation and the rise of the industrial conglomerates that helped define its future. The player who builds the most influential Zaibatsu can claim victory.