[For Adults] Fun Games to Liven Up Your Cherry-Blossom Viewing: Recreation and Party Games
Hanami is already a lot of fun just by eating, drinking, and chatting while admiring the cherry blossoms.
That said, if it’s a long stretch from noon into the night, there are times when the mood dips if you keep the party going nonstop.
And even though it’s spring, March and April can still be quite chilly.
So in this article, we’ve gathered some activities perfect for hanami—light recreation to get you moving and warm you up, as well as lively games to keep idle moments at bay.
It’s geared toward adults, so it’s great for company outings or university groups!
Be sure to check it out!
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- [For Seniors] Fun Spring Recreational Activities: A Collection of Games and Play Ideas
- Games you can play with just conversation. Classic and popular activities you can enjoy without any props!
- [For University Students] A Roundup of Fun Games and Recreational Activities
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- Games and activities everyone can enjoy together. A collection of fun play ideas.
- Indoor games and recreational activities recommended for spring
- Simple mini-games that liven up a party
[For Adults] Fun Activities for Cherry-Blossom Viewing: Recreation and Games (21–30)
Rhythm 4 Game
This is a game that became popular from the variety show “Let’s Go to School,” which V6 used to appear on, and has since become a staple party game.
It’s commonly known as “Rhythm 4 Game” or “Minorika Rhythm 4.” To make it easier to keep the beat, participants shorten their names or nicknames to two syllables.
The flow is: someone calls a name and says a number; the person called then says their own name that many times; then it passes to the next person, continuing in rhythm.
You can also mix in other words or optional rules to increase the difficulty, making it an even more fun game.
Impromptu Guess-the-Character Game
It’s a game where you improvise and guess a person’s name from given hints.
You create a parody song that includes a celebrity’s signature phrases, traits, or gags, and the respondent has to guess who it is.
Since everyone participates improvisationally, unexpected mishaps and unique turns of phrase can pop up.
The key is to sing rhythmically in time with the music.
Besides celebrities, movie or TV drama characters also make great prompts.
Try adding this no-props-needed, high-energy game to your cherry-blossom-viewing gathering.
balloon volleyball
A great activity to blow away the chill is balloon volleyball.
Balloons are easy to find at 100-yen shops, so it’s a simple and recommended option.
Stand in a circle and keep the balloon in the air, rallying continuously so it doesn’t drop.
Because balloons are light and get caught by the slightest breeze, they often move unpredictably, so keeping the rally going is surprisingly challenging.
You can also make it a team competition and see who can get the most hits—it really livens things up.
Don’t forget to warm up first, as sudden movements can strain your Achilles tendon or ligaments.
Who am I? game
As the prompt ‘Who am I?’ suggests, this is a game where you ask lots of questions to figure out who or what that ‘I’ is.
The great thing about this game is that you don’t need any props at all.
You can even throw in a few tricky questions—use your creativity to liven up the atmosphere!
Prisoner’s Dilemma
Are you familiar with the game theory concept called the Prisoner’s Dilemma? Imagine two prisoners: if both confess, they both receive a sentence; if one confesses, that person gets a lighter sentence while the other gets a heavier one; if both stay silent, it’s treated as insufficient evidence.
This forms the basis of the game.
Two people team up to answer questions, and the way they answer changes the score.
In a normal game, coordinating means you win—but this one is a psychological battle.
You have to answer while considering what the other person will do.
It’s a bit tricky, but it really gets exciting.
Beef Tongue Game
The perfect game for drinking parties and group mixers is the “Gyutan Game.” It starts with the phrase “Gyu, tan, gyu, tan, gyu, tan, tan,” and you have to increase the number of final “tan” claps by one each round.
You must clap for “tan” instead of saying it out loud, and if you say it or get the number of “tan” wrong, you lose.
It’s best played with a big group once the alcohol’s kicking in and everyone’s judgment is getting fuzzy—so give it a try at your next cherry-blossom viewing party!
I love you game
A game you can play with just two people or with a fairly large group: the “I love you” game.
It’s simply a game where you say “I love you” to the other person—how is that a game? You’ll understand when you try it: it’s incredibly embarrassing! That’s right, in this game, you lose if you get shy.
If your opponent says “I love you” and you blush or get flustered, you lose.
You can also ask for “Say it again,” trying to make the other person crack instead.
It gets even more fun if you add words before or after “I love you,” like “Thanks for doing ○○ earlier— I love you,” and so on.