Traditional Games to Celebrate the New Year in Japan

Whether it’s your first time ringing in the new year in Japan or your 10th, we have a list of activities and traditional games to keep adults and kids busy during the holidays!

Traditional Games to Celebrate the New Year in Japan

As the year winds down, many people in Japan are busy with bonenkai(end-of-the-year parties), sending out nengajo (Japanese New Year postcards), preparing for the big clean (osouji) and snatching up leftover fukubukuro (lucky bags). While the New Year holidays may seem like an adult affair, there are plenty of Japanese New Year traditions that families can enjoy together.

Karuta

As one of the most iconic New Year games, karutahas a long history rooted in kai-awase, a poetry-matching game using shells played by the nobility during the Heian period, and the European-style playing cards that were introduced to Japan in the 16th century. The primary goal of all karuta games is to correctly recognize and grab the appropriate matching card before your opponent does. The most popular game is hyakunnin isshu karuta which showcases 100 classic Japanese poems. For more details on how to play karuta, check out this beginner’s primer. A game for all ages, karuta is a great game to hone reflexes, reading and listening skills all in one!

Kendama

One game that has experienced a resurgence in popularity in Japan and worldwide is kendama. Typically made of wood, this ball-and-cup type toy consists of a ken (meaning sword or the handle), dama (ball) and a length of string. Kendama’s appeal is its simple construction, yet immense versatility, as thousands of tricks can be performed with experts mastering around 30,000 different combinations! You simply swing the ball, bounce it and catch it between the three different “cups” along the handle or you can also spike it on the end. It’s a great game for improving hand-eye coordination and getting some exercise for energetic little ones.

Fukuwarai

Similar to the American game, Pin the Tail on the Donkey, fukuwaraidates back to the Edo periodand is equally fun and simple. First, players are blindfolded, then they are instructed to correctly place facial feature cutouts (eyes, nose, mouth, eyebrows etc.) onto a blank drawing of a face that is laid out on a table. Traditional face templates include the okame (a woman with large cheeks who brings good luck) and the hyottoko (a man with a comically shaped spout-like mouth). The game is typically played in teams, so teammates help by shouting out directions, but they can also mislead their teammates to create hilarious faces. Fukuwarai translates to “lucky laugh” since laughter is supposed to bring you good fortune. Secure some good luck during the holidays as you laugh yourselves into next year!

Hanetsuki

Resembling badminton without a net, hanetsukiis a game traditionally played around New Year with one or two players, a wooden paddle called a hagoitaand a shuttlecock-like object known as a hane. With origins as a Shinto ritual reaching as far back as the Nara period, hanetsuki was once an activity believed to bless girls with good health. In one version of the game, a player tries to keep the hane in the air as long as possible, while another features two players squaring off in a match with similar rules to badminton. Although the game has declined in popularity, hagoita are still sold around New Year as collectibles. Grab a pair and go head-to-head this holiday season.

Ohajiki

Similar to marbles, ohajiki are typically colorful pieces of china, glass or plastic that have been flattened into round discs. Games using ohajiki were traditionally popular among girls during the Edo period as a way to pass the time. Two players place their ohajiki on the floor in front of them and take turns flipping their pieces. When a player flips their piece and it lands on their opponent’s one, then they get to keep the piece and win a point. The game continues until all the pieces are collected and the player with the most pieces wins.

Takoage

As with many games covered in this article, takoage (kite flying) was initially done by elite classes and for religious purposes; however, its popularity grew among ordinary people around the 1600s. As a result, the shogunate issued a ban on kite flying fearing they would hit the upper class making trips to the capital. New Year was the only time of the year the activity was permitted because there would be little travel to and from Edo (Tokyo) during the holidays. Takoagewas thought to promote good health as a physical activity with the perceived benefits of catching sunlight on your face while looking to the sky. Also, parents with newborn boys often flew kites during the holiday as a ritual for ensuring the health of the child. These days, kites are readily available in all shapes, sizes and designs. Find your own and take to the skies this New Year!

Origami

While the Japanese art of paper folding is not an activity readily associated with the Japanese New Year, its thematic versatility means that there are plenty of holiday-related projects for the family to embark on. As one of the most visible examples of New Year decor, kadomatsu makes for the perfect start for your origami adventure. Or, since we’ll be ringing in the Year of the Dragon, why not make the fifth creature of the Chinese zodiac? Although ema(cards made of pine used for writing wishes at shrines) can be bought and written all year round, they are particularly popular during hatsumode (the first shrine visit of the year). Make some wishes of your own origami ema and decorate the home with hopes for the coming year.

Are there any games or activities that you like to do with your little ones? Leave us some suggestions in the comments below!