We’re introducing a variety of ways to play with ohajiki.
Like beanbags and marbles, ohajiki have long been popular as a traditional toy and pastime.
You’re probably familiar with the classic game where you flick the pieces with your finger to make them collide.
This time, we’ve gathered not only flicking games, but also fun ways to play that don’t involve flicking.
If you want to play with ohajiki or learn new ways to use them, be sure to check this out.
It’s packed with the many charming qualities of ohajiki!
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How to Play Ohajiki (1–10)
Ohajiki Soccer
Ohajiki soccer enjoys a quiet popularity, with tournaments held around the world! In this game, you treat sets of ohajiki pieces as a team of 11 soccer players and flick them to roll the ball.
Since the detailed rules are quite similar to soccer, it might be a fun alternative to try ohajiki soccer on rainy days when you can’t play outside.
zabuton (a Japanese floor cushion)
Grab as many ohajiki (small game pieces) as you like in one hand.
At the moment you raise that hand up, release the pieces so they land on the back of your hand.
Next, you flip your hand to catch the pieces with your palm—but before you flip, declare how many you will catch.
If the number you catch matches your declaration, you get to keep those pieces.
The player who collects the most pieces wins.
OHajiki Curling
Let’s try a mini curling game on a tabletop—“ohajiki curling”! Draw a circle on a sheet of paper and write the point values inside it.
Tape the paper to the desk with cellophane tape and start the game! Line up each player’s ohajiki (game pieces) at opposite edges of the paper and decide who goes first.
Flick your pieces aiming for the higher point areas.
You can also hit your own pieces to nudge them into higher-scoring zones or knock your opponent’s pieces out of the circle.
Have fun!
Pogs hitting game
Here’s the basic way to play Ohajiki.
Scatter the pieces randomly on a desktop, then choose two that are next to each other.
Run your finger between the two as if drawing a line on the desk.
If your finger touches any piece, you’re out and it’s the next player’s turn.
If you get your finger through cleanly, flick one piece with your finger to hit the other.
If you hit it, you succeed and those pieces become yours.
If you hit a different piece or make a mistake, you’re out and it’s the next player’s turn.
Stacking Game
It’s a very simple game: just stack up the little counters.
It sounds easy, but the counters are small and not perfectly flat—they’re slightly curved—so stacking a lot of them is surprisingly tricky.
Kids with smaller hands might even be better at it.
Let’s see who can build the tallest stack!
Sound play with ohajiki
Let’s make maracas using bottle caps and empty plastic bottles! It’s easy: make two bottles by putting bottle caps into empty plastic bottles, tie the two bottles together with a string, and secure the caps firmly with tape so they won’t come off—that’s it! The colorful bottle caps will make beautiful maracas.
They’re great as toys for kids and also as party accessories.
Mancala
Mancala is a game you play while using your head.
You place marbles in the small pits, then choose one pit, pick up all the marbles from it, and drop them one by one into the neighboring pits in a clockwise direction.
If the last marble lands in the big pit, you get to choose another small pit and repeat.
If the last marble does not land in the big pit, your turn ends and it’s the other player’s turn.
You win if you can move all the marbles from your side into the big pit.