Saisho gu... (First Rock...)
Janken hai!
Just about every person in America has played Rock, Paper, Scissors (RPS) at least once in their life. It's one of those requisite childhood activities right along with eating veggies and learning about Superman.
So it came as no surprise to me to learn there existed a Japanese version of RPS, called Janken. I saw kids playing it pretty frequently, but I paid it little mind. They're kids, afterall. Kids everywhere play it.
However, it's taken to a different level here. On the basic level, for kids it is used to divvy up cleaning chores and decide who will be on which team. It is also used to break ties, decide which game will be played, which movie will be watched, which food will be eaten, and divvy up chores.
But I've found it's not just for kids. I have been involved in a Janken variant (choki-pa - just scissors or paper, with no winner declared) in a bar to decide darts teams. With adults. One of who was in his 50s. No one needed any explanation of the rules of Janken. That would be like asking someone in America what could possibly happen if you flip a coin.
This past week, I went to a soccer store with my friend Naoya. Naoya told me - after we finished our purchases, of course - that we can Janken with whoever rings us up. If we win, we get 20% of what we just bought as store credit. And we get to go again. Win a second time, get 25% of your purchase as store credit. Third, 30%. And so forth. If you win 10 times, you get even money for what you just bought. An eleventh win allows you to pick anything in the store and get it for free.
Intrigued, and well practiced at Janken, I went back today to get some sweatpants. Upon discovering they have a baseball shop on the second floor, I also picked up a batting glove for visits to the local batting cages. As I paid, I asked in Japanese if we could play Janken. The lady smiled, said sure, and then called her coworker down from the other floor.
I thought, wow, they're bringing in the Janken specialist. When he came downstairs, I asked him, "Are you the Janken master?" ("master" = "ma-su-ta")
He laughed, "That's right, I am the Janken master."
"Saisho gu, janken hai!" I win.
I smile, and get ready to go again.
"Saisho gu, janken hai!" I win again.
And again.
And again.
And again. I can see the downright confusion all over his face. How can this gaijin keep winning? I am the Janken ma-su-ta! I win again.
I win 8 times in a row, and so I get 80% of what I just bought in store credit, a total of about US$70.
I smile and think of all the schoolchildren who made this possible, both my American contemporaries and my Japanese students. And I think of my dad, who swears there is no such thing as a free lunch. Dad, clearly you haven't taken Rock, Paper, Scissors into account when figuring that out.
Recently, I have been amused at the obsession the Japanese have with RPS, and then I came across an article on the BBC about the recent crowning of a World Champion of RPS.
Rock Paper Scissors is bigger than I ever thought possible.
Just about every person in America has played Rock, Paper, Scissors (RPS) at least once in their life. It's one of those requisite childhood activities right along with eating veggies and learning about Superman.
So it came as no surprise to me to learn there existed a Japanese version of RPS, called Janken. I saw kids playing it pretty frequently, but I paid it little mind. They're kids, afterall. Kids everywhere play it.
However, it's taken to a different level here. On the basic level, for kids it is used to divvy up cleaning chores and decide who will be on which team. It is also used to break ties, decide which game will be played, which movie will be watched, which food will be eaten, and divvy up chores.
But I've found it's not just for kids. I have been involved in a Janken variant (choki-pa - just scissors or paper, with no winner declared) in a bar to decide darts teams. With adults. One of who was in his 50s. No one needed any explanation of the rules of Janken. That would be like asking someone in America what could possibly happen if you flip a coin.
This past week, I went to a soccer store with my friend Naoya. Naoya told me - after we finished our purchases, of course - that we can Janken with whoever rings us up. If we win, we get 20% of what we just bought as store credit. And we get to go again. Win a second time, get 25% of your purchase as store credit. Third, 30%. And so forth. If you win 10 times, you get even money for what you just bought. An eleventh win allows you to pick anything in the store and get it for free.
Intrigued, and well practiced at Janken, I went back today to get some sweatpants. Upon discovering they have a baseball shop on the second floor, I also picked up a batting glove for visits to the local batting cages. As I paid, I asked in Japanese if we could play Janken. The lady smiled, said sure, and then called her coworker down from the other floor.
I thought, wow, they're bringing in the Janken specialist. When he came downstairs, I asked him, "Are you the Janken master?" ("master" = "ma-su-ta")
He laughed, "That's right, I am the Janken master."
"Saisho gu, janken hai!" I win.
I smile, and get ready to go again.
"Saisho gu, janken hai!" I win again.
And again.
And again.
And again. I can see the downright confusion all over his face. How can this gaijin keep winning? I am the Janken ma-su-ta! I win again.
I win 8 times in a row, and so I get 80% of what I just bought in store credit, a total of about US$70.
I smile and think of all the schoolchildren who made this possible, both my American contemporaries and my Japanese students. And I think of my dad, who swears there is no such thing as a free lunch. Dad, clearly you haven't taken Rock, Paper, Scissors into account when figuring that out.
Recently, I have been amused at the obsession the Japanese have with RPS, and then I came across an article on the BBC about the recent crowning of a World Champion of RPS.
Rock Paper Scissors is bigger than I ever thought possible.
posted by David at 4:51 PM
1 Comments:
i never realised it but i do use janken alot to avoid doing things lol eg. janken for loser to pick up deliveries, but you should try this janken drinking game, not only you have to win that hand, but you also needs your opponent to point the way your finger is in order to make him/her drink, if not, you just keep janken till someone loses
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