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How to Play

Rising Sun

3-5 players 90-120 min 7.8 Board Game Geek Rating

In Rising Sun, players control feudal Japanese clans competing for dominance through diplomacy, battles, and strategic positioning. Ancient spirits have returned, demanding honorable leadership of the empire. Each clan has unique abilities and income as they forge temporary alliances, worship gods, and fight across provinces. Victory points are earned through combat victories, harvesting territories, and achieving clan virtues. Honor determines tie-breakers and influences gameplay advantages.

Published 2018

Rising Sun

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

1
Remove island provinces
The islands (Kyushu, Shikoku, and Hokkaido) are not used in 2-player games
2
Assign home provinces for island clans
Any clan that starts on an island uses Oshu (Grey) as their Home Province, and/or Kansai (Orange) if Moon Clan is in the game or both clans start on an island
3
Establish sea lane connections
Sea lanes connect Nagato (Purple) with Oshu (Grey), and Kansai (Orange) with Edo (Red)
4
Place honor markers
Both players place their Honor markers on the honor track
5
Add Ronin token to honor track
After placing honor markers, place a Ronin token in slot 3 on the honor track
6
Display Kami tiles
Only display 3 Kami instead of 4
7
Prepare War Province tokens
Shuffle only the 5 War Province tokens matching the provinces in the game and reveal only 4 of them
8
Prepare Season cards
When placing out Season Cards, don't put out any duplicates - have only 1 copy of each card
9
Establish starting alliance
Both players begin Allied

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

1
Select a Political Mandate
The active player selects and plays a Political Mandate card
2
Negotiate privileges
If players are allied, privileges may be negotiated, but the active player gets them by default
3
Execute Recruit mandate
All players summon one figure at each of their Strongholds, and Shinto may worship
4
Execute Marshal mandate
All players move each of their figures across one border or shipping route
5
Execute Train mandate
All players may buy one available Season card
6
Execute Harvest mandate
The active player may harvest from two different territories where they have superior force
7
Execute Betray mandate
The active player removes 2 figures (of like types) from the other player
8
Resolve Kami Phase
No changes from base game rules
9
Begin War Phase
At the beginning of the War Phase, the alliance (if still together) is broken
10
Complete Seasonal Cleanup
No changes from base game rules

Winning

How to claim victory.

1
Score War Province tokens
Count the "Number of Different War Provinces" you control
2
Apply Path of the Patron
You must be above both the other player and the Ronin token for this Enhancement to trigger
3
Apply Way of the Righteous
If you're higher honor than the Ronin Token, take a coin from supply at start of War Phase
4
Apply Way of the Snake
The betrayed player receives coins and/or Ronin with each Betrayal (4 after first Kami Phase, 2 after second, 0 after third)
5
Score Form of the Kindred
This works as written and will be worth 9 points in 2-player games
6
Score Honesty
This works as written and may induce the need to betray earlier to prevent many points
7
Determine the winner
The player with the most victory points at the end of the Winter Season wins

watch & Learn

Let the pros teach you with these top videos.

(HUN) Felkelő nap társasjáték kedvcsináló | Japán folklór az asztalon (4K)

(HUN) Felkelő nap társasjáték kedvcsináló | Japán folklór az asztalon (4K)

Instructional

? Rising Sun: El Juego que Me Fascina | Opinión y Reseña Completa

? Rising Sun: El Juego que Me Fascina | Opinión y Reseña Completa

Review

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FULL rules

Looking for the full details? Grab the complete rulebook as a downloadable PDF.

PDF RULEBOOK

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