Fukuwarai facts for kids
Fukuwarai (pronounced Foo-koo-wah-rye), which means Lucky Laugh in English, is a fun Japanese game for children. It's especially popular during the New Year celebrations in Japan.
Players gather around a table with a paper drawing of a face that has no features. There are also separate cutouts of facial parts like eyes, eyebrows, a nose, and a mouth. The goal is to place these features onto the blank face while blindfolded.
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What is Fukuwarai?
Fukuwarai is a traditional game where players try to create a funny face. It's all about guessing where the features should go. The game often results in silly, mismatched faces, which makes everyone laugh! This is why it's called "Lucky Laugh."
How to Play Fukuwarai
To play Fukuwarai, you need a few things:
- A large paper or drawing of a blank face.
- Separate paper cutouts of eyes, eyebrows, a nose, and a mouth.
- A blindfold.
Here are the steps to play:
- One player puts on the blindfold so they cannot see.
- They are then given the paper cutouts of the face parts.
- While blindfolded, the player tries to place each feature onto the blank face in the correct spot.
- Other players can give funny instructions or hints, but they can't touch the blindfolded player or the face.
- Once all features are placed, the blindfold is removed. Everyone then sees the funny face created!
History of Fukuwarai
The game of Fukuwarai is quite old. It is believed to have started in the late Edo period in Japan. The Edo period was a time in Japanese history from 1603 to 1868.
In the past, the game often used a special kind of face. This was an okame-style face. An okame is a traditional Japanese mask or character. It shows a woman with very large, round cheeks. These faces made the game even more amusing when the features were placed incorrectly.
Similar Games Around the World
Fukuwarai is similar to a game played in Western countries. This game is called Pin the Tail on the Donkey. In that game, players are also blindfolded. They try to pin a paper tail onto a drawing of a donkey. The main difference is that Fukuwarai is played on a table, while Pin the Tail on the Donkey is usually played on a wall. Both games are great for parties and getting everyone to laugh!
See also
- Fukuwarai para niños (Fukuwarai for kids in Spanish)
