Ozashiki-asobi part 1

Do you know “Ozashiki-asobi”?
Ozashiki-asobi are simple but interesting games played at ozashiki parties.
Let me explain about some “Ozashiki-asobi” games in today’s diary.

Kompira-funefune (金比羅船船)

“Kompira” is the name of popular shrine in Kagawa prefecture and “Kompira-funefune” is a popular folk song.
While when we play the game, we sing this song, so the game is called “Kompira-funefune”.

[Kompira-funefune’s Rules]

1. At least 3 players (A,B,C) are necessary. Also you need a “Hakama”, which is the stand for a bottle of sake.
2. Players A and B sit down facing each other. The “Hakama” is set between players A and B. Player C sits next to players A and B, and sings the “Kompira-funefune” song.
3. Players A and B hold one hand in front of their chest with the palm facing up and place the fingers of the other hand in the palm.
4. Then each player takes turns to touch the top of the Hakama in rhythm to the  “Kompira-funefune” song.
5. Each player can either touch the top of the “Hakama” or pick it up.
6. If one player picks up the Hakama the other player must make a fist and touch the place where the “Hakama” was their knuckles without breaking the rhythm of the game. The player who picked up the Hakama must put it back on their next turn.
7. Player C gradually speeds up the “Kompira-funefune” song, which increases the speed of the game. When either player A or B makes a mistake by breaking the rhythm of the game or by not making a fist when the Hakama is not in its resting place, the game is finished. The player who makes a mistake is the loser and they have to drink a glass of sake.

[Kompira-funefune’s Song]

金毘羅（こんぴら） 船々追い手に 帆かけてシュラシュシュシュ
回れば 四国は讃州（さんしゅう） 那珂（なか）の郡（ごおり）
象頭山（ぞうずさん） 金毘羅大権現（だいごんげん） いちど まわれば （以上繰り返し）

Kompira funefune oite ni hokakete shurashushushu
Mawareba shikoku wa sansyuu nakano goori
Zouzusan kompira daigongen ichido mawareba (continue to repeat)

* Here is a sample video on YouTube

Toratora (とらとら)

Toratora is a popular game based on “Rock, Paper, Scissors”, which uses the whole body, rather than the traditional use of just the hand.
This game is based on “Kokusenya Kassen (国性爺合戦)” which is a traditional Japanese “Zhoruri (浄瑠璃)” story. The “Zhoruri (浄瑠璃)” story is a traditional Japanese style of narrative music in which a tayu (太夫), narrator, narrates and sings to the shamisen music.

[Toratora’s Rules]

1. At least 3 players (A,B,C) are necessary. Also you need a large folding screen.
2. Set the folding screen between Players A and B, so that Players A and B can’t see each other when they do “Rock, Paper, Scissors” (see below).
3. Player C sings the “Toratora” song.
4. While Player C sings Part *1 of “Toratora”, Players A and B act out certain gestures to the song’s lyrics.
5. After Part *1 of the song is finished, Player C sings “Toratora toratora, Toratora toratora, Toratora toratora”. On the third “Toratora toratora”, Players A and B make a “Rock, Paper, Scissors” gesture, and step out from behind the screen.
6. After several times of “Rock, Paper, Scissors”, the game is finished. The player who is the loser has to drink a glass of sake.

[Toratora’s Song]

Part *1
千里走るような　藪の中　皆さんのぞいてごろうじませ
金のハチマキ　タスキに和籐内がえんやらやと　捕えしケダモノは
Part *2
とらとらとらとら　とらとらとらとら　とらとらとらとら

Part *1
Senri hashiru youna yabu no naka minasan nozoite gorouzimase
Kin no hachimaki tasuki ni watonai ga enyaraya to toraeshi kedamono wa
Part *2
Toratora toratora, toratora toratora, toratora toratora

[How to do “Rock, Paper, Scissors” in the Toratora game]

Paper is Watonai (和籐内), who is the main character of Kokusenya Kassen (国性爺合戦), and makes a gesture of holding a spear.
Rock is a tiger, who makes a gesture of getting down on all fours.
Scissors is the mother of Watonai, who makes a gesture of walking with a walking stick.

* Here is a sample video on TouTube

Omawari Yoiyasa (おまわりよいやさ)

Omawari Yoiyasa is another popular game based on “Rock, Paper, Scissors” .

[Omawari Yoiyasa’s Rules]

1. At least 3 players (A,B,C) are necessary. Also you need a Japanese drum.
2. Set the Japanese drum between Players A and B. Player C counts the number of times each player wins.
3. At first, all 3 players say together “Saisho wa gu, Atama wa pah” and when they say “Jan ken hoi”, Players A and B do “Rock, Paper, Scissors”.
4. The winner hits the drum and the loser spins around one time while each player says “Omawari”. After they say “Omawari”, they say “Yoiyasa”. When they say “Yoiyasa”, Players A and B do “Rock, Paper, Scissors” again.
5. When either Player A or B wins 3 times in succession the game is finished. The player who is the loser has to drink a glass of sake.


One of the enjoyable things of these games is watching people play as they get more and more drunk.
In all “Ozashiki asobi”, the losing player has to drink a glass of sake. This rule is called “Bappai (罰杯)”.
If the same player loses again and again, that player has to drink many glasses of sake, so generally they get drunk, and the other people, who are watching, often laugh.

If the losing player doesn’t drink alcohol, there are some other penalty games instead of “Bappai”.
Let me explain about the rules of “Bappai” and the penalty games in my next diary.