[For Adults] A Collection of Recreation and Game Ideas to Liven Up Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing)
With the warm spring weather, many of you are probably planning hanami cherry-blossom outings.
Simply eating and drinking while admiring the sakura is fun, but since you’re at it, wouldn’t it be great to include some group activities that really liven things up? There are actually plenty of games perfect for hanami—friendly competitions that adults can enjoy, as well as activities that bring out your inner child.
In this article, we’ve gathered a wide range of recreation ideas to make adult hanami even more enjoyable.
Try them out and get closer with your friends!
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[For Adults] A Collection of Recreation and Game Ideas to Liven Up Cherry-Blossom Viewing (51–60)
Dizzy Bat Gesture Game
It’s a game where you play charades while dizzy after doing the spinning-bat challenge.
Gesturing while you’re dizzy from spinning the bat is quite difficult, so it gets pretty lively.
It might be even more fun if you offer prizes to those who do well.
Rock-Paper-Scissors ending-change game
A classic punishment-game twist on sentence endings, this one shines as a forfeit in games like rock–paper–scissors or cards, especially during cherry-blossom viewing season.
The loser has to add a funny ending to every sentence they say—like that anime character’s catchphrase or something animal-like.
It’s easy to do, but when it hits you, it’s a pretty annoying penalty.
Senda Mitsuo Game
Everyone stands in a circle.
The first person says “Senda” while pointing at someone.
The person who’s pointed at says “Mitsuo” and points to someone else.
At that moment, the two people standing on either side of the newly pointed person move both hands up and down and say “Naha-naha.” If anyone makes a mistake in this sequence, they lose.
It starts slowly, and as the speed increases, people get flustered and the game gets more exciting.
coyote
Perfect for cherry blossom viewing! Let me introduce the card game “Coyote,” which both adults and kids can enjoy together.
First, each player sticks a card to their forehead without looking at it, so only the other players can see it.
On each turn, everyone totals the numbers on the visible cards, and you must call out “Coyote!” without going over that total.
If the total is exceeded, you’re out.
The last person remaining wins.
For hanami, it’s also a great idea to prepare some prizes! Make your cherry blossom outing one to remember.
[For Adults] A Collection of Recreation and Game Ideas to Liven Up Cherry-Blossom Viewing (61–70)
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.
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.
