Top Famous Traditional Japanese games.
8 Top Japanese traditional games
Are you ready to try something new? Why not indulge yourself in some fun Japanese games?
Let’s say you are invited to your Japanese friend’s house party in Japan.
Chances (though slim) are they will be playing some Japanese party games, especially old Japanese games.
Rather than wasting everyone’s time spent on explaining the rules of the game, why not familiarize yourself with some of the most fun and popular Japanese games?
In this article, let’s learn about some of the Japanese games that we will be able to enjoy with our friends and family.
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Here Are Some Traditional Japanese Games That You Must Play
Hanetsuki
Much like badminton, Hanetsuki, also known as Oibane, is played (mostly by females) using hagoita (rectangle-shaped wooden paddle) and hane (colorful shuttlecock).
However, unlike badminton, a net is not a necessity.
The purpose of the game is to hit the hane upwards with the hagoita and keep it aloft as long as possible.
The hane can also be passed back and forth by two people like other racket games.
Japanese girls usually play Hanetsuki at New Year as it is believed that whoever wins will be protected from mosquitoes the entire year.
Among the old Japanese games, it is not as popular as it used to be.
If you are a fan of racket games, you will definitely enjoy this one.
Make it enjoyable by setting your own rules, like whoever drops the ball first gets a penalty.
Uta-garuta
Uta-garuta is a Japanese card game with waka (Japanese classical poetry) written on every card.
A deck consists of 100 cards and is usually played during the Japanese New Year holidays.
The first thing you need to know to play this fun Japanese game is that there are two types of cards –
- Yomifuda consists of 100 cards, and each card contains a figure of a person, his name and a poem.
- Torifuda also comes with 100 cards but with only the end of poems on each.
People who play this game would sit on the floor, and all the cards would be placed between the players.
Then, one person would read the poem written on the Yomifuda card, and the players would then frantically search for the Torifuda card that contains the last phrase of the poem.
some more games to know in Japan
Oni Gokko
This game of tag has a little dark twist: Players have to run away from Oni (demons) and once the Oni catches them, they become the Oni.
This fun Japanese game can be played by people of all ages and the more the merrier.
The rules are simple:
- Using Janken (Rock Paper Scissors), pick the Oni.
- The Oni then turns around, closes his eyes and counts to 10, during which the players hide or move far away from him.
- After the count of 10, the Oni begins the chase and whoever he catches/tags becomes the new Oni.
This is an ideal school playground game where even teachers and parents can participate.
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Daruma Otoshi
Daruma Otoshi is a classic Japanese game with a cylindrical Daruma head resting on top of five cylindrical wooden pieces.
The object of the game is to hit the bottom wooden pieces with a small hammer to bring the Daruma to the bottom.
If you like playing Jenga, then this game is for you.
Let’s call it here for now because our brains can handle only so many new games and rules at a time.
We hope you have fun playing the above mentioned common Japanese games.
We will leave you here with our best wishes.
Until next time, sayonara for now!
Ogoola Karuta is an English version of Uta-garuta that we are sure you and your friends could play as a fun drinking game.
