Fun for adults and kids alike! Home festival ideas to capture the lively spirit of a Japanese matsuri
Triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have probably found fewer opportunities to fully enjoy themselves outdoors or spend time in crowded places.
There are plenty of fun things to do at home, but lots of kids still look forward to festivals and fair-style events.
However, sometimes festivals aren’t held, or it’s difficult to go where there are crowds.
In times like these, why not host an at-home “Ennichi” fair that you can enjoy with family and friends? Prepare classic festival-style foods and games, and have fun with attractions that are every bit as appealing as the real thing! It’s not just for summer—doing it for your child’s birthday, for example, is sure to make them happy!
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[Fun for adults and kids alike!] Home festival ideas to capture that matsuri vibe (31–40)
Use paper cups and plastic containers, etc.
When enjoying a festival or fair at home, a common mistake is serving food on plates.
If you think about it, that’s something you’d never see at a real festival, and it instantly kills the mood.
So when recreating it at home, I recommend using paper cups or plastic containers.
Even foods that you’ve only reheated in the microwave will look like authentic street stall items if you put them in a paper cup.
You can also prepare plastic spoons or straws to suit your taste.
Wani Wani Panic
Wani Wani Panic is a simple, fun game you’ll always find at arcades.
All you do is whack the crocodiles that pop out of the holes with a hammer—but even adults can’t help getting hooked.
Let’s hand-make a Wani Wani Panic set and enjoy it at a home festival! You can make the crocodiles from milk cartons, the base from cardboard, and the hammer from a milk carton and a toilet paper roll.
It uses a mechanism where pulling and releasing the string attached to the crocodile makes it pop out with a snap, which kids are sure to love.
If the mechanism is too tricky to build, you can simply move the crocodiles by hand.
Beigoma (spinning top)
How about incorporating traditional Japanese games into your booths for a school or cultural festival? For example, with beigoma, people of all ages can play together.
Beigoma is a game where you spin small iron tops without axles on a platform and compete to see whose top keeps spinning the longest.
Since several people spin their tops on the same platform, the tops naturally collide.
Staying on the platform without being knocked off is another key to winning.
Because of this, there are several ways to wind the string for beigoma.
It’s likely to create a friendly atmosphere where everyone teaches each other how to wind the string and shares tips on throwing.
Gem scooping
Shops with scooping games—like goldfish scooping, yo-yo balloon scooping, and super ball scooping—really spark that urge to take on a challenge.
Part of the appeal is how easy they seem: you find yourself thinking, “I could do that,” or “Even I can get one.” That’s why I recommend the glittering “gem scooping.” You’re scooping toy gems, of course, but combined with the festival atmosphere, you somehow end up wanting them.
You can probably source fake jewelry that looks real at a low cost, so it’d be nice to mix a few in as prizes.
Candy shaped like rings would likely be a hit, too!
omikuji (a Japanese fortune slip typically drawn at Shinto shrines or Buddhist temples)
Speaking of food stalls and festival nights, that means the grounds of a Shinto shrine.
And when you think of a shrine… yes, omikuji fortune slips! If you offer a variety of omikuji, they’re sure to become the talk of the town.
Not only store-bought omikuji—making your own is a great idea, too.
Come up with irresistibly fun themes together, like love fortunes, future fortunes, or grade fortunes.
You can also get creative with how you hand them out: have a swimming goldfish choose a fortune, pick one by shooting an arrow, or draw one with a roulette wheel—the possibilities are endless!
Fun for adults and kids! Home festival ideas to enjoy the matsuri vibe (41–50)
Lucky Ball
Lucky Ball is a game whose play style and format vary by region.
You’ll find similar booths—or attractions—at places like Disneyland and Universal Studios Japan.
You set up cups or use a board drilled with holes in a grid, then toss baseball-sized balls to play.
Decide your own rules: aim to land balls in designated colors, line them up vertically or horizontally like bingo, and so on.
As long as you can throw a ball, anyone—young or old—can enjoy it, making it perfect for a school festival with a wide range of attendees.
And don’t forget the big plush toy prizes to steal the show!
shaved ice
Shaved ice has become a craze these days, no matter the season.
Kids and adults alike love it! If you have children, there’s a good chance you’ve got a shaved ice machine at home, right? Having those Styrofoam cups with the “Festival” character on them would make it even more exciting.
Prepare a few types of syrups and let everyone pour on as much as they like—this dream setup is sure to be a hit.
Enjoy flavors and all-you-can-pour syrup in a way you can’t at a shop—because it’s a make-believe festival at home!
