**50 traditional Japanese games and folk activities**
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Writer AndyKim
Hit 1,530 Hit
Date 25-01-17 17:53
Content
**50 traditional Japanese games and folk activities**, detailing their rules and cultural significance. These games range from physical and strategic to seasonal and cooperative, reflecting Japan’s rich cultural heritage.
---
### **Physical Games**
1. **Hanetsuki (羽根つき)**
- A traditional badminton-like game using a wooden paddle (hagoita) and shuttlecock. The goal is to keep the shuttlecock airborne.
- **Cultural Note**: Often played during New Year celebrations.
2. **Kendama (けん玉)**
- A wooden toy with a ball attached by a string. Players attempt to catch the ball in the cup or spear it on the spike.
- **Skill**: Focus and hand-eye coordination.
3. **Takoage (凧揚げ)**
- Kite flying, a popular activity during festivals like New Year.
- **Twist**: Competitions often involve trying to cut others' kite strings.
4. **Ayatori (あやとり)**
- A string game where players create intricate patterns by manipulating a loop of string with their fingers.
5. **Ohajiki (おはじき)**
- A game using small, flat stones or glass pieces. Players flick pieces to hit and scatter others.
6. **Daruma Otoshi (だるま落とし)**
- A stacking game where players use a hammer to knock out pieces from a stacked daruma doll without toppling it.
7. **Kanetōri (鐘取り)**
- A game of agility where players race to grab a bell from the center of a circle.
8. **Hikifuda (引き札)**
- A tug-of-war game using ropes.
9. **Otedama (お手玉)**
- A juggling game with beanbags, often accompanied by traditional songs.
10. **Koma (こま)**
- Spinning tops, often decorated with colorful designs. Players compete to see whose top spins the longest.
---
### **Strategic Games**
11. **Shogi (将棋)**
- Japanese chess, a strategic board game with unique piece movement rules.
12. **Go (囲碁)**
- A territory-control board game played with black and white stones.
13. **Sugoroku (すごろく)**
- A dice-based board game, often used during New Year.
14. **Hyakunin Isshu (百人一首)**
- A card game where players match halves of classical waka poems.
15. **Karuta (かるた)**
- A card game involving matching a spoken phrase with its corresponding written card.
16. **Uta-garuta (歌ガルタ)**
- A variation of karuta featuring poetry.
17. **Kibi-dango Nori (きびだんごのり)**
- A memory-based storytelling game.
18. **Renju (連珠)**
- A five-in-a-row strategy game played on a Go board.
19. **Hanafuda (花札)**
- A card game played with flower-themed cards, popular during holidays.
20. **Menko (めんこ)**
- A card-flipping game where players attempt to flip opponents' cards by slamming their own.
---
### **Group or Partner Games**
21. **Onigokko (鬼ごっこ)**
- Tag, with the "oni" as the chaser.
- **Variants**: Include rules like hiding or restricted movement.
22. **Keidoro (ケイドロ)**
- Cops and robbers, where players are divided into teams of chasers and escapees.
23. **Daruma-san ga Koronda (だるまさんが転んだ)**
- Similar to "Red Light, Green Light," players freeze when the leader turns around.
24. **Kemari (蹴鞠)**
- A traditional ball game where players work together to keep the ball in the air without using their hands.
25. **Fukuwarai (福笑い)**
- A New Year’s game where players, blindfolded, assemble a face on a blank sheet.
26. **Kakurenbo (かくれんぼ)**
- Hide-and-seek, a universally recognized game with Japanese variations.
27. **Taketonbo (竹とんぼ)**
- Bamboo helicopters, where players launch small bamboo toys into the air.
28. **Bo-taoshi (棒倒し)**
- A team-based pole-toppling game often played during school sports festivals.
29. **Mikoshi Carrying (神輿担ぎ)**
- Cooperative game of carrying a portable shrine during festivals.
30. **Kawarake Nage (瓦投げ)**
- Players throw clay discs for accuracy, often into a designated area.
---
### **Focus or Coordination Games**
31. **Chō-han (丁半)**
- A dice game where players bet on the outcome being even or odd.
32. **Kakumei Nori (革命のり)**
- A flicking game to launch items into a specific target.
33. **Naruko Dance (鳴子踊り)**
- A rhythmic dance using wooden clappers.
34. **Hyottoko Nori (ひょっとこ乗り)**
- Balancing masks while performing humorous dances.
35. **Kaeru Jump (かえるジャンプ)**
- Frog-jumping games, testing precision and aim.
36. **Omikuji Lottery (おみくじ)**
- Fortune-picking game where players select slips predicting their luck.
37. **Kamizumo (紙相撲)**
- Paper sumo wrestling, where players tap the platform to move paper wrestlers.
38. **Mizukiri (水切り)**
- Skipping stones across water.
39. **Nawatobi (縄跳び)**
- Jump rope, with individual or team variations.
40. **Ippon-bashi (一本橋)**
- Balancing on a single beam or tightrope.
---
### **Seasonal or Festival Games**
41. **Suikawari (スイカ割り)**
- A summer game of blindfolded players attempting to smash a watermelon.
42. **Kingyo Sukui (金魚すくい)**
- Goldfish scooping using a delicate paper scoop.
43. **Yo-yo Tsuri (ヨーヨー釣り)**
- Fishing for water balloons at summer festivals.
44. **Katanuki (型抜き)**
- Shape-cutting using needles and candy molds.
45. **Shishimai Dance (獅子舞)**
- Lion dance, a team performance during festivals.
46. **Tamagotchi (たまごっち)**
- Digital pet games that mimic nurturing activities.
47. **Hanabi (花火)**
- Fireworks-related challenges or art creation.
48. **Sakura Viewing Games (桜の観察ゲーム)**
- Activities involving spotting rare cherry blossoms.
49. **Yukigassen (雪合戦)**
- Snowball fights in winter.
50. **Daruma Doll Rolling (だるま転がし)**
- Rolling daruma dolls down slopes in playful races.
---
These traditional Japanese games reflect deep cultural roots and are often tied to seasonal celebrations, festivals, and childhood memories. Each could be adapted into exciting, high-stakes scenarios or cooperative challenges.
---
### **Physical Games**
1. **Hanetsuki (羽根つき)**
- A traditional badminton-like game using a wooden paddle (hagoita) and shuttlecock. The goal is to keep the shuttlecock airborne.
- **Cultural Note**: Often played during New Year celebrations.
2. **Kendama (けん玉)**
- A wooden toy with a ball attached by a string. Players attempt to catch the ball in the cup or spear it on the spike.
- **Skill**: Focus and hand-eye coordination.
3. **Takoage (凧揚げ)**
- Kite flying, a popular activity during festivals like New Year.
- **Twist**: Competitions often involve trying to cut others' kite strings.
4. **Ayatori (あやとり)**
- A string game where players create intricate patterns by manipulating a loop of string with their fingers.
5. **Ohajiki (おはじき)**
- A game using small, flat stones or glass pieces. Players flick pieces to hit and scatter others.
6. **Daruma Otoshi (だるま落とし)**
- A stacking game where players use a hammer to knock out pieces from a stacked daruma doll without toppling it.
7. **Kanetōri (鐘取り)**
- A game of agility where players race to grab a bell from the center of a circle.
8. **Hikifuda (引き札)**
- A tug-of-war game using ropes.
9. **Otedama (お手玉)**
- A juggling game with beanbags, often accompanied by traditional songs.
10. **Koma (こま)**
- Spinning tops, often decorated with colorful designs. Players compete to see whose top spins the longest.
---
### **Strategic Games**
11. **Shogi (将棋)**
- Japanese chess, a strategic board game with unique piece movement rules.
12. **Go (囲碁)**
- A territory-control board game played with black and white stones.
13. **Sugoroku (すごろく)**
- A dice-based board game, often used during New Year.
14. **Hyakunin Isshu (百人一首)**
- A card game where players match halves of classical waka poems.
15. **Karuta (かるた)**
- A card game involving matching a spoken phrase with its corresponding written card.
16. **Uta-garuta (歌ガルタ)**
- A variation of karuta featuring poetry.
17. **Kibi-dango Nori (きびだんごのり)**
- A memory-based storytelling game.
18. **Renju (連珠)**
- A five-in-a-row strategy game played on a Go board.
19. **Hanafuda (花札)**
- A card game played with flower-themed cards, popular during holidays.
20. **Menko (めんこ)**
- A card-flipping game where players attempt to flip opponents' cards by slamming their own.
---
### **Group or Partner Games**
21. **Onigokko (鬼ごっこ)**
- Tag, with the "oni" as the chaser.
- **Variants**: Include rules like hiding or restricted movement.
22. **Keidoro (ケイドロ)**
- Cops and robbers, where players are divided into teams of chasers and escapees.
23. **Daruma-san ga Koronda (だるまさんが転んだ)**
- Similar to "Red Light, Green Light," players freeze when the leader turns around.
24. **Kemari (蹴鞠)**
- A traditional ball game where players work together to keep the ball in the air without using their hands.
25. **Fukuwarai (福笑い)**
- A New Year’s game where players, blindfolded, assemble a face on a blank sheet.
26. **Kakurenbo (かくれんぼ)**
- Hide-and-seek, a universally recognized game with Japanese variations.
27. **Taketonbo (竹とんぼ)**
- Bamboo helicopters, where players launch small bamboo toys into the air.
28. **Bo-taoshi (棒倒し)**
- A team-based pole-toppling game often played during school sports festivals.
29. **Mikoshi Carrying (神輿担ぎ)**
- Cooperative game of carrying a portable shrine during festivals.
30. **Kawarake Nage (瓦投げ)**
- Players throw clay discs for accuracy, often into a designated area.
---
### **Focus or Coordination Games**
31. **Chō-han (丁半)**
- A dice game where players bet on the outcome being even or odd.
32. **Kakumei Nori (革命のり)**
- A flicking game to launch items into a specific target.
33. **Naruko Dance (鳴子踊り)**
- A rhythmic dance using wooden clappers.
34. **Hyottoko Nori (ひょっとこ乗り)**
- Balancing masks while performing humorous dances.
35. **Kaeru Jump (かえるジャンプ)**
- Frog-jumping games, testing precision and aim.
36. **Omikuji Lottery (おみくじ)**
- Fortune-picking game where players select slips predicting their luck.
37. **Kamizumo (紙相撲)**
- Paper sumo wrestling, where players tap the platform to move paper wrestlers.
38. **Mizukiri (水切り)**
- Skipping stones across water.
39. **Nawatobi (縄跳び)**
- Jump rope, with individual or team variations.
40. **Ippon-bashi (一本橋)**
- Balancing on a single beam or tightrope.
---
### **Seasonal or Festival Games**
41. **Suikawari (スイカ割り)**
- A summer game of blindfolded players attempting to smash a watermelon.
42. **Kingyo Sukui (金魚すくい)**
- Goldfish scooping using a delicate paper scoop.
43. **Yo-yo Tsuri (ヨーヨー釣り)**
- Fishing for water balloons at summer festivals.
44. **Katanuki (型抜き)**
- Shape-cutting using needles and candy molds.
45. **Shishimai Dance (獅子舞)**
- Lion dance, a team performance during festivals.
46. **Tamagotchi (たまごっち)**
- Digital pet games that mimic nurturing activities.
47. **Hanabi (花火)**
- Fireworks-related challenges or art creation.
48. **Sakura Viewing Games (桜の観察ゲーム)**
- Activities involving spotting rare cherry blossoms.
49. **Yukigassen (雪合戦)**
- Snowball fights in winter.
50. **Daruma Doll Rolling (だるま転がし)**
- Rolling daruma dolls down slopes in playful races.
---
These traditional Japanese games reflect deep cultural roots and are often tied to seasonal celebrations, festivals, and childhood memories. Each could be adapted into exciting, high-stakes scenarios or cooperative challenges.