Traditional Japanese Toys and Games
When you think of Japanese games, what do you think of? Perhaps video games like Nintendo, Game Boy, Dreamcast and Play Station. In recent years, these high-tech Japanese games have gained popularity in Japan, as well as in the US and other countries. Children and teenagers all over the world share an interest in such video games. But how did children and teenagers in Japan entertain themselves before such games were developed? What traditional games and toys did they enjoy? Are they similar to American ones? The following descriptions might help you to answer such questions or inspire your students to make similar toys and games of their own.
Of course, the descriptions listed below are not comprehensive. Rather they describe the toys and games the Consulate General of Japan in Boston has to loan schools and organizations teaching about Japan. There is certainly more information out there on Japanese folk toys and traditional games. Curious? For more information, look on such Internet sites as www.jinjapan.org or at books like Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia(Kodansha Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, 1993) or Japan at a Glance (Kodansha International Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, 1997).
Ayatori (cat's cradle)
Ayatoriis traditionally a girl's game. To play, a loop of string is hung around the fingers or wrists of both hands and manipulated to form various patterns such as scissors, suspension bridges, brooms, diamonds, etc. The directions for making many patterns can be found by doing a simple "Google" search under "string games".
Bi-dama (marbles)
Marble playing in Japan began around 1898 with the invention of Cod Neck Bottles called "Ramune" (ra-moo-nay). These soda bottles had marble stoppers in their necks which children removed to play with. By the 1920s, marble games were very popular with Japanese children. Now, they are losing popularity, though they are still taught to younger generations by older ones.
The most common bi-dama game is played by drawing a circle on the ground and putting all of each players' marbles but one in the circle. Then, each player takes turns trying to shoot his or her one marble at the ones in the circle, knocking opponents' marbles out. Whatever marbles he or she knocks out of the circle, he or she gets to keep. The person with the most marbles at the end, wins. Other traditional bi-dama games can be found at http://www.marblemuseum.org/games/japanrules.html.
Daruma Otoshi (stacked circular blocks and hammer)
This traditional Japanese game requires a good eye and fast reflexes. To set up the game, stack the colored circular blocks with the head on top. (You can actually stick the arm of the hammer down the center to help you stack the blocks straight.) Then, to play, use the hammer to knock blocks out from the stack, one by one without letting the head topple over. (The head of the doll is a daruma, a doll that represents the Buddhist priest Bodhidharma who is said to have lost the use of his arms and legs after meditating for nine years.) If you are playing by yourself, see how many blocks you can knock out before the daruma topples over. If you are playing with friends, take turns until someone causes daruma to fall over.
Fudeide (decorative pencil case)
Fudeide, or fudebaco, are decorative pencil cases, often covered in printed fabric, that girls sometimes use when playing "house" or "school".
Fukuwarai (happy laugh, like Pin the Tail on the Donkey)
Fukuwarai, a game similar to pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, became popular during Japan's Edo period (1603-1868) and started being widely played as a New Year's game during the Taisho era (1912-1926.) Originally, only one style of face was used for the game - a comical, round face of a woman. Nowadays, other faces are sometimes used, such as those of popular actors and comic book characters.
Setting up fukuwarai is easy. Spread out the piece of paper with the outline of a face on it, blind fold the first player and hand that person cut outs of the eyes, eyebrows, mouth and nose of the face. Then, to play, have the blindfolded person try to put the cutout pieces in the correct spots on the face while other players shout instructions like, "Higher!" "To the right!" and "There!" Finally, remove the payer's blindfold to reveal his or her handiwork. Have a good laugh and let the next player take a turn.
Kami Fusen (paper balloon)*
Kami-fusenoriginated in the beginning of the Yedo period (1603-1867) by masterless samurai, or warriors, as a side job. This traditional toy is wax-covered paper pasted together to form a balloon with an opening in it. To inflate the balloon, you blow into the opening. Once blown up, the balloon keeps its shape without you having to tie a knot or cover the hole.
Kami fusenare often sold at dagashiya, or sweet shops, and are popular with children, particularly girls. They make a great rainy day toy, because, unlike balls which can hurt both people and furnishings when played with indoors, kami fusen are soft and essentially harmless Children simply bat them around, enjoying the fun sound the balloons make when bounced on hands. Then when done playing with the toys, children push the air out of the tops, fold them up and store them, flat, until they want to play again.
Kamishibai (story cards and box)
Kamishibai is a form of street storytelling that became popular in Japan during the depression in the 1920s when some men who lost their jobs became gaito kamishibaiya-san, or kamishibai storytellers, to make a living. From the 1920s through the advent of TV in Japan in 1953, gaito-kamishibaiya-san provided an inexpensive form of entertainment to village children. As TV became more popular throughout Japan, kamishibai became less popular. Now, however, kamishibai are enjoying a renaissance in schools, libraries and culture centers.
Traditionally, a gaito-kamishibaiya-san would ride into a village equipped with a small stage and storytelling cards, as well as candy to sell. Upon his arrival he would clap together two wooden blocks called hyoshigi as a call to children to gather around for story time. Then, he'd sell candy, allowing the children who bought the most candy to sit or stand in the best places. Finally, in a very dramatic manner, the gaito-kamishibaiya-san would tell two to three episodes of a story, stopping at an exciting moment in order to leave the children impatient for his next visit.
Kami Teppo (paper pistol)
Kami teppoare basically traditional bamboo guns made for shooting spitballs. To play, you load a small wad of paper into the barrel of the gun, pull the other part back and, then, shoot it forward. Aim carefully and play only with permission, of course!
Karuta (card game)
Karuta, from the Portuguese word for "card" carta, are rectangular cards inscribed with numbers, pictures or writing that are used for playing both Western and Japanese card games. Playing cards were introduced to Japan in the early 16th century, but, eventually, gambling with cards became so rampant that the Tokagawa shogunate (1603-1867) banned card games and other forms of gambling. Still, cards made a comeback and today karuta come in forms to include hanfuda ("flower cards"), uta karuta ("poem cards") and iroha karuta ("alphabet cards"). All of these are favorites at New Year's festivities.
Hanafuda, also known as hanakaruta is a deck of 48 different cards with 12 suits of 4 cards each. Each suit represents a different month of the year and is illustrated with pictures of a particular flower that blooms during that time of year. In addition to these flowers, pictures on cards may contain such things as animals, humans, the moon, etc. Just as with western cards, there are a variety of games that can be played with hanafuda. Most involve matching and many, traditionally, involved gambling.
Uta karuta, popular with older children and adults, developed in the early Edo period (1600-1868) out of traditional Japanese games that involved matching halves of clamshells painted with corresponding parts of poems (kai-awase). In uta karuta, a deck of 200 cards is used. The deck is divided into a set of 100 yomi-fuda, or reading cards and a set of 100 tori-fuda, or grabbing cards. Each yomi-fuda is inscribed with a different poem from a classic anthology called Ogura Hyakunin Isshu ("One Song by One Hundred Authors") On the reading cards, the poems called tanka, are written in their complete 5-verse, 31-syllable style. On the tori-fuda, only the last two verses of each poem are written. Thus, to play uta karuta, the 100 tori-fuda are layed out face up. One player, the game's judge, picks up a yomi-fuda and starts reading its text. The other players try to recognize the poem and grab the corresponding tori-fuda before opponents do. The player with the most cards at the end wins. Needless to say, that player is the one who knows the poems by heart the best, often recognizing them after only one or two syllables are read.
Iroha karutais similar uta karuta, but is better for younger children. Why? Because players do not need to be familiar with the poems of the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu in order to play. Rather, players only need to recognize the Japanese "alphabet" and 48 popular proverbs. In iroha karuta, a deck of 96 cards is used. On each of one half of the cards is a picture and a different kana, or Japanese syllable. These cards are called e-fuda (picture cards) or tori-fuda (grabbing cards). On each of the other half of the cards, the full text of a Japanese proverb, or well-known saying, is written. These cards are called ji-fuda (character cards) or yomi-fuda (reading cards). Each of the sayings on the ji-fuda begins with a different syllable, meaning that each can be matched with one particular e-fuda. Thus, when the reader reads a proverb, players scramble to be the first to pick up its corresponding e-fuda. The player with the most cards at the ends wins.
Kendama (cup and ball)
The history of kendama is long. Its roots reach back to Europe in 1615, when the predecessor of kendama, a game called "cup and ball" was popular. By the 18th century, versions of "cup and ball" arrived in Japan via China, and it became a hit with adults who found the game fun along with a few drinks. Then, in the early 1920s, a craftsman who lived in Asakusa, Tokyo reshaped the then-popular model of the toy by adding a part that looks like a Japanese tsuzumi drum, shaped like an hourglass. This evolution of the toy was the prototype for today's kendama.
Today's kendama consists of a ken, or wooden stick, that is crossed by a saru-do, or cup body. A tama, or ball, is attached to the stick by ito, or thread. The object of the game is to snap or swing the kendama so that the ball lands in one of four places. The easiest of these palces is the o-zaru, or big cup, which is at one end of the cup body. The second easiest place is on the ko-zara, or small cup, on the other side of the cup body. More difficult places are the chu-zara, or center cup, at the wide end of the ken or the ken-saki, or stick point, at the narrow end of the ken, which demands that you catch the ana, or hole in the ball, on the point.
Skilled players can catch the ball in all four places and can maneuver the kendama so the ball jumps from one place to another, doing tricks.
Of course, developing strong kendama skills demands kokoro no nebari (persistence) and shinen (concentration), two behaviors prized in Japan. As such, kendama is often played in elementary schools throughout Japan and remains popular with older people as well. As a matter of fact, kendama is so popular in Japan that there is even an official Japan Kendama Association (http://www.kendamakyokai.com/top_english.html) that sponsors competitions, categorized skill levels and explains kendama tricks for traditional kendama play. Also, in recent years, dejiken have been developed. These are digital kendama that are made of semi-transparent plastic and equipped with such things as music, buzzers and flashing lights that reward skilled play. Without doubt, kendama is a game of challenge that appeals to many.
Koma (top with a string)
Koma, or tops, have been enjoyed by Japanese children for centuries. They originally came to Japan in the 8th century from China, by way of Koma in the Korean Peninsula; that is the source of their name koma. At first they were a game for court people and the nobility, but in the Edo Period(1603-1867), they became widespread and gradually came to stay as a game for all children.
Komaare made of wood, bamboo, seashells or metal and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Circular wooden ones that are pierced through the middle with a rod as its axis for rotating are by far the most popular. Some koma are spun with fingers. Traditionally, girls play with these, alone, inside their houses. Other koma, are wound up with a string. Traditionally, boys play with these outside with their friends. Playing with koma, idoors or out, is particularly popular on New Year's Day.
To play with koma wound by string, wind the string around the base of the top, starting at the bottom and spiraling outward, being careful not to let the string get tangled. Hold the top in one hand with the top end of the string between your finger and thumb. Keeping hold of the string, toss the top with a flick of the wrist (almost like a frisbee) onto a flat surface. The unwinding of the string will spin the top. If you're playing with friends, try having a showdown to see who can keep spinning the koma the longest or whose koma can hit against the others and to push them out of the limited space.
Kyodai (decorative box with mirror)
Kyodaiare decorative boxes, often covered in printed fabric and with a flip up mirror, that Japanese girls traditionally use when playing "house" or hiding special small treasures.
Mangekyo (kaleidoscope)
Mangekyu, or kaleidoscopes, are traditionally used by girls in Japan. Girls look through one end while turning the cylinder to create pretty patterns from the beads at the other end.
Menko(face card challenge)
Boys (and girls) have been playing with menko cards in Japan for many years. Some sources say that menko originated in the Kamakura period (1185-1333), while others say that menko can be traced back only as far as the Edo period (the early 1700s). All sources agree that menko are small circular or square game pieces made of clay, board, lead or, most recently cardboard, decorated with pictures ranging from sumo players to popular cartoon characters to famous politicians to samurai warriors. These pieces are used, traditionally by boys, to play boisterous challenge and gambling games.
The most common way to play menko is to choose one peson to be 'it" and to have other players put their menko on the ground. The player who is "it" then throws his menko at the other players' menko. If he flips over any of the other players' cards by doing so, he gets to keep them. If he doesn't. his turn is over and the next player goes.
For a detailed history of menko, see
www.dking-gallery.com/menko/
Nawatobi (jump rope)
Nawatobi. Or jump ropes, are popular among Japanese children and are often made with a place in each handle to write a child's name, grade and class. In Japanese elementary schools, nawatobi are used both at recess time and in gym class. Children often count how many times they can jump without stopping, and some elementary schools even give each student a card to record their jump rope feats, awarding prizes such as stickers or stamps when certain levels are reached.
Children play with nawatobi both individually and in groups. Just as with American children, Japanese children are always trying to come up with new ways of jumping rope: cross-arm jumping, turning the rope twice in one jump, making up songs and jingles while jumping, etc.
Ohajiki (flat marbles)
Ohajikiis traditionally a game for little girls that gets its name from the snapping or flicking (hajiku) of fingers that is done when playing. Long ago, girls used shells and pebbles to play; now they use variously colored ceramic, plastic, or, usually, glass pieces that look like small, flat marbles. To play, scatter ohajiki on a flat surface, and, then, draw a line with your finger to divide them equally between players. After that, take aim at an opponents piece by flicking one of your own pieces towards it. If you hit the piece you took aim at, you get to keep it. At the end of the game, the player with the most pieces wins.
Origami (folding paper)
Origami is one of the best known Japanese pastimes. It involves folding a single square sheet of paper in different ways to create shapes such shapes as animals, people and plants. Some shapes take but a few basic folds to create, while others require more intricate folding. Perhaps the best known origami shape is the crane, made popular worldwide by the story Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes.
The practice of origami can be traced to the early 700s when paper was first introduced to Japan. At that time, paper was folded to make decorations for use in religious ceremonies at shrines. Later, during the Heian period (794-1185), origami became popular as a way to beautifully wrap letters and presents. Women of the imperial court also began to amuse themselves by folding origami dolls and shapes. Still later, during the Edo period (1603-1868), origami became more widespread. People began thinking of new ways to make paper shapes, cutting and layering paper to create elaborate figures. Then, by the Meiji era (1868-1912), origami became so widespread in Japan that it began to be taught in elementary schools. Today, it is still used to teach concepts in geometry in Japanese schools and has become a worldwide pastime, with clubs and associations all over the globe dedicated to the art.
Otedama (juggling bean bags)
Otedamais a traditional juggling game played by Japanese girls. It reached its height of popularity during and after World War II, when other toys were unavailable and life in Japan was hard. At that time, mothers others often made ojami, or beanbags for their daughters, using colorful scraps of cloth filled with azuki beans (small red beans) and sewn up with a draw string. The draw string served a practical purpose as during the worst times of the war, parents could use ojami to smuggle extra food to their children at school.
When things got better in Japan, it became common for girls to have sets of five, seven or nine ojami with them at all times, particularly in the winter when it was too cold to play outside. With these, the girls played singly or in groups from about the ages of 5-17.
The most basic level of otedama play resembles jacks. You put all of the ojami in one hand, take one and toss it up. While it's in the air, you move a second ojami over to the other hand. Then, you move two, and three and so on...
The next level of play involves wedging the ojami between the fingers of the throwing hand rather than just moving them from hand to hand. Toss one, then with your left hand, place bags between the fingers of the right hand, holding up to four bags in this manner, then catching the tossed bag once again in the palm of your right hand. Once this level is mastered, more complex juggling patterns and tricks can be tried.
Taketonbo (bamboo dragonfly)
Taketombo(tah-kay tow-m-bow) are said to have been invented by Hiraga Gennai (1728-80) and remain one of the most popular traditional Japanese toys played with by elementary school children in Japan. The toy's name literally translates to "bamboo dragonfly", though the toy might more aptly be called a bamboo propeller. Because of taketombo's simple design, they are often made by Japanese children in primary school arts and crafts classes Professionally made taketombo were traditionally made of bamboo, but are now often made of plastic.
To make taketombo fly, hold the shaft between the palms of your hands with the propeller at the top. Rib your palms together once quickly, and, then, release the taketombo upwards. The first time, it might be hard, but you'll catch on quickly. Then, you can play just for fun, or, you can compete for distance, accuracy or duration of flight.
Wanage (ring toss)
Wanageis a ring toss game, made of wood and painted in traditional Japanese styles. Children try to toss rope rings onto the pole of the wooden stand.
compiled by Martianne Sullivan
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