Otedama,
お手玉, おてだま - A traditional Japanese children's game. Small
bean bags are tossed and juggled in a game similar to jacks.
Although it is mostly a social game, Otedama can be played
either alone or in groups. It is rarely competitive and
often accompanied by sing songs.
Otedama was most popular among young girls in post World War
II Japan. The bean bags called ojami were sewn together from
strips of cloth and contained small azuki beans. During war
times, parents could smuggle extra food for their hungry
children inside them.
Unfortunately, very few people today remember how to play
Otedama. The songs which accompanied them have been all but
forgotten and the next generation of children have never
heard of such a game.
How to play
Specific game play varies widely from region to region. One
variation, transmitted to Hawaii by the children of Japanese
descent, requires three bean bags; two small ones, and one
large one called the kini. Play proceeds in rounds which
become increasingly more difficult as the game goes on.
The first round begins with one hand.
throw the kini into the air, pick up a bean bag, catch the
kini in the same hand
throw the kini into the air, drop the bean bag, catch the
kini
throw the kini into the air, pick up the second bean bag,
catch the kini
throw the kini into the air, drop the second bean bag, catch
the kini
(Do not move the bean bags.)
throw the kini into the air, pick up both bean bags, catch
the kini
throw the kini into the air, drop the bean bags, catch the
kini
During the second round, place your left hand (if you are
right-handed) out in front of you, a flat open palm,
oriented facing your right hand.
throw the kini into the air, tap the first bean bag against
your left palm let it drop, catch the kini
throw the kini into the air, tap the second bean bag against
your left palm let it drop, catch the kini
(Do not move the bean bags.)
throw the kini into the air, tap both bean bags against your
left palm let them drop, catch the kini
In the third round,
starting with the kini, pick it up with two fingers (thumb
and index) swing it up and over the back of your hand
pick up the first bean bag with two fingers, swing it up and
over the back of your hand
pick up the second bean bag with two fingers, swing it up
and over the back of your hand
Now begins the “doubles” rounds which are variations of the
first three. In the fourth round, with one hand,
throw the kini into the air, pick up a bean bag, catch the
kini in the same hand
throw the kini into the air, THROW DOWN the bean bag, catch
the kini
throw the kini into the air, pick up the second bean bag,
catch the kini
throw the kini into the air, throw down the second bean bag,
catch the kini
(Do not move the bean bags.)
throw the kini into the air, pick up both bean bags, catch
the kini
throw the kini into the air, throw down the bean bags, catch
the kini
During the fifth round, place your left hand (if you are
right-handed) out in front of you, a flat open palm,
oriented facing your right hand, like in round two.
throw the kini into the air, tap the first bean bag TWICE
against your left palm let it drop, catch the kini
throw the kini into the air, tap the second bean bag twice
against your left palm let it drop, catch the kini
(Do not move the bean bags.)
throw the kini into the air, tap both bean bags twice
against your left palm let them drop, catch the kini
In the sixth round,
throw the kini into the air, catch it on the back of your
right hand (if you are right-handed)
wedge the kini between your fingers
pick up the first bean bag with two fingers swing it up and
catch it on the back of your hand with the kini still wedged
between your other fingers
drop the first bean bag
pick up the second bean bag with two fingers swing it up and
catch it on the back of your hand with the kini still wedged
between your other fingers
drop the second bean bag
The seventh round is called the sandwich and is easier to do
if your bean bags are flat.
stack all three bean bags with the kini in the middle and
balance them on the back of your hand
toss them carefully, flip your hand over, and try to catch
them on the front of your hand without the stack falling
over
toss and flip, try to catch the stack on the back of your
hand again without the stack falling over
In the eighth and final round, with the two bean bags on the
floor in front of you
toss the kini into the air, pick up both the bean bags,
catch the kini
toss the kini and the bean bags into the air, catch the kini,
quickly place your forearm flat on the ground so that the
two bean bags land on either side of your arm
Information source: “Otedama.” wikipedia.org. Article date:
4 Dec. 2006. Retrieved: Wikipedia. 8 Feb. 2008 <Otedama>.
Video - The following is two girls really
trying to explain this game in English. |
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