
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,199
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Web of Power
- 3–5 players
- 50–60 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2000

Rules assistance for China: Big in Japan
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
China: Big in Japan is an expansion for China released in 2011 for 3–5 players. It was designed by Michael Schacht and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Area Majority / Influence, and Open Drafting.
Number 6 in the series of monthly releases of expansion maps for the China/Web of Power family of games. Set in Japan, it has the usual color pattern (1 purple region, 2 of each other color) but with a different geography. Released officially December 2011 at michaelschacht.net.
China: Big in Japan supports 3–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
China: Big in Japan has a complexity rating of 1.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
China: Big in Japan belongs to these categories: Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Area Majority / Influence, and Open Drafting. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of China: Big in Japan are: Michael Schacht. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists China: Big in Japan as an expansion for China. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need China to use it. Check that your edition of China is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.