[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!
- [For Adults] Fun recreational games. Perfect for short breaks too!
- [For Kids] Fun Activities for Cherry-Blossom Viewing: Recreation and Games
- Team-based recreational activities for adults that are fun even with large groups
- Fun recreational games that liven up outdoor activities
- Entertainments and performances to liven up cherry-blossom viewing: spring mini games
- Recreation Ideas for Seniors to Enjoy March
- [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
- Fun activities that liven up a camp: recreational games
- 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 Games to Liven Up Your Hanami: Recreational Games (41–50)
konjac
One of the fun aspects of the “what’s-in-the-box” game is seeing how people react when they put their hand in and touch the object.
With that in mind, how about choosing konnyaku, which has a uniquely odd texture, to elicit those reactions? Depending on the type, konnyaku generally feels slippery, so you might get some squeamish responses.
Its springiness can even make people mistake it for a living creature, so it seems important to decide at what point to let them know it’s actually food.
Ten Times Game
Didn’t you play the “say it 10 times” game when you were a kid? I mean, surely everyone has tried it at least once, right? A classic example is telling someone, “Say ‘pizza’ 10 times,” and after they do, you point to your elbow and ask, “What’s this?” to make them say “knee” by mistake.
You think, “There’s no way I’d fall for something that simple!” but when you actually try it, you feel yourself being led and get stuck trying to answer.
They say your mind gets rigid as you become an adult—so let’s loosen up and have fun with games like this.
The “Haa” game
Have you heard of the game “Haa tte iu Game,” which has been steadily gaining popularity lately? When you write out “haa,” what emotion do you read into it? There’s the angry “Haa?”, the sighing “haa,” the feigned-ignorance “haa,” and many other kinds of “haa.” It’s a game where you guess which “haa” the player is expressing.
Besides “haa,” there are also prompts that involve different words and facial expressions.
You draw a prompt card and a card with a letter indicating which version the performer has to act out.
It’s a game that requires a bit of acting ability.
King’s Cup
Here’s a game I’d like you to try at a pace that isn’t too hard on you: “King’s Cup.” You draw a card, and what you do is determined by the number that comes up—but no matter which number you draw, someone ends up drinking.
The scariest part is when you draw the King, number 13.
For the first through third Kings, you just pour alcohol into a big pitcher.
But whoever draws the fourth King has to drink all of it.
Be careful—you might end up having to drink the large amount you poured in yourself.
Tissue Catch Game
A game you can play with just tissues: the Tissue Catch Game.
One way to play is to drop a tissue from up high as it flutters down and try to catch it.
But in this version, everyone participating holds a single tissue.
While moving around as usual—walking, sitting, and so on—someone suddenly drops their tissue.
The others try to react instantly and grab it.
If no one reacts and it hits the ground, that’s a miss.
The player who collects the most tissues wins.
Do-Re-Mi Song Game
Do you know the Do-Re-Mi song game? It’s a game where you sing using those pitches and lyrics, but you only sing one measure.
After you sing, you point to the next person to choose who will sing and announce the scale degree they have to sing at the same time as you point.
The person chosen has to sing both the melody and the lyrics correctly.
It sounds easy, but since the pitches jump around, it’s hard to match them on the spot, and you get pulled along by the previous person’s singing, so you can’t sing it well—that’s the fun of the game.
It gets even more exciting if you decide on a penalty for mistakes!
Badminton
If you’re going cherry-blossom viewing outdoors and have plenty of space, how about really getting active and playing some games? Badminton is lightweight, compact, and easy to carry, so it won’t add to your load.
These days you can even pick up a set at a 100-yen shop, making it simple to enjoy.
As adults, we don’t play much badminton, do we? That’s exactly why this is a great chance to go all in and try a full-on tournament with everyone! Offering a prize for the winner would make things even more exciting.