New Year party games that get everyone excited: a fun collection of ideas from classics to DIY

Shogi

[Shogi Course] Aim for 1st Dan! How to Get Stronger [Opening Chapter]

Shogi, which stands as a quintessential Japanese game.

Learn how each piece moves, craft your strategy, and capture your opponent’s king.

In recent years, shogi masters have often become hot topics on TV and online, and it seems the game is becoming popular again.

Playing a match against your grandpa over New Year’s would be wonderful, too.

Tōsenkyō (a traditional Japanese fan-tossing game)

Playing Tosenkyo with the family during the New Year holidays

Let me introduce tōsenkyō, a game the whole family can enjoy at New Year! Tōsenkyō is known as one of the games that began in Kyoto in the mid-Edo period.

It’s an elegant, uniquely Kyoto traditional game in which you throw a folding fan at a target called the “chō,” and the score changes based on the beauty of how it lands.

Even if you don’t have a folding fan, you could substitute a round fan or make one yourself.

It’s also fun to make the target with the kids and add your own twists.

Come up with original rules and give it a try this New Year!

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kepiko

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kemari (a traditional Japanese ball-kicking game)

Kemari Hajime at Shimogamo Shrine

Kemari, said to be one of the origins of soccer, is a ball game that came to Japan from China about 1,400 years ago.

Some people may have seen participants at shrines during New Year’s, wearing hakama-like outfits called kemari shōzoku and kicking a ball.

Players form a circle in groups of six to eight and pass the ball by kicking it so it doesn’t fall.

They compete by the number of times the ball is kicked up before it’s dropped.

There are various rules, such as juggling the ball at least three times yourself before passing it to the next person, or kicking it higher than trees planted around the area that serve as height standards.

Though it looks simple, it’s a surprisingly profound traditional pastime—why not get moving and give it a try this New Year?

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SAKI

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Earphone Loud Telephone Game

[Viral Trend] We all tried the Earphone Loud-Volume Whisper Game and it was hilarious lol

How about trying the “Whisper Challenge” with blasting headphones when your relatives gather at New Year’s? It’s a simple game where you play telephone while listening to loud music through headphones.

The rules are easy, so everyone can start right away.

It’s simple yet hilarious—highly recommended! You’ll be laughing till your sides hurt, and it’s a great way to welcome the New Year with smiles.

Argo

Fukuhana’s Board Game Introduction No. 62: Algo

The game known as “Algo,” which is said to make you smarter, actually originated in Japan! It’s a game where you check your own cards while trying to guess what cards your opponent has, and I remember loudly shouting “Attack!” when making a guess.

This one also gets really exciting when you play with a large group.