Fuku Warai

New Year in Japan would not be complete without the game of fuku warai, which is a bit like pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey.

In Fuku Warai the blindfolded player is not putting a tail to an animal but eyes, nose, mouth and ears to a human face. The strange results you might get while enjoying the games with people you like will probably lead to big laughter. And that is what the game is all about: The word Fuku Warai could be translated as "Laughing for Good Luck" - again laughter is something like a good charm for good fortune.

This game became popular late in the Edo period (1603-1868), and people began playing it as a New Year's game during the Taisho era (1912-1926). Until around 1960, people, mostly children, played this game at home.

Originally, only one style of face was used in this game: the comical, round face of a woman. But over the years, other faces, reflecting the times in which they were created, came into use as well: popular actors, comic-book heroes, and so on.

Here is a typical way to play fuku warai with friends when you have the actual game set. You can also make one by hand out of paper.

· First, the players spread out a piece of paper with the outline of a face on it.

· Then one player is blindfolded with a handkerchief or other cloth.

· The blindfolded player tries to place cutouts of the eyes, eyebrows, mouth, and nose on the face, while the other players shout instructions--for example, "Higher!" "To the left!" "There!"

· After the player places the pieces, the blindfold is removed so the player can view his or her handiwork.

Most of the time, the face comes out looking ridiculous, and the players could not keep from laughing. It is also fun to see how the faces created by different players turn out.

Although the game had been played for centuries, it lacks popularity nowadays - probably because of the possibilities to have a big laugh watching TV. But now, you can play Fuku Warai on the internet!