also: ぴかいち · ピカイチ
noun
hanafuda hand: one 20-point card and six 1-point cards
Specific term in hanafuda (Japanese flower cards). Refers to a dealt hand consisting of exactly one 20-point card (often a 'tane' or animal card) and six 1-point cards (kasu).
See also: 手役
花札で、ピカ一の手役が配られた。
In hanafuda, I was dealt a hand of one 20-point card and six 1-point cards.
noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', noun
outstanding; top-notch; the best
Derived from the hanafuda term, now used colloquially to describe something or someone that stands out as excellent or the best among others. Often used in the phrase ピカ一の〜.
彼の料理の腕前はピカ一だ。
His cooking skills are outstanding.
この店のラーメンはピカ一の味だ。
The ramen at this shop is top-notch.
Kanji spelling using 光 for 'pika'. Less common than ピカ一 but still encountered.
From hanafuda terminology. ピカ (pika) is an onomatopoeic or mimetic word for a flash or shine, and 一 (ichi) means 'one'. The term originally described a hand with one shining 20-point card among low-value cards, later extended to mean 'outstanding'.