Mah-jongg 　マージャン

Mah-jongg is one of the most popular indoor games in Japan, similar in status to the game of poker in America. It is of Chinese origin and is played with four people. Bets are placed and 136 tiles are drawn and discarded until a player secures a winning hand.

Go 　碁

Go, or igo, is a game of strategy played between two people. Black and white stones are placed alternately on a board in an attempt to capture the other player's stones by surrounding them. The game ends when the board is filled with stones, or the possibilities for gaining territory are exhausted.

Shogi 　将棋

Shogi is a traditional chess-like game played between two people. As in chess, pieces may be captured, but unlike chess those pieces may be used by the captor. A game ends with the checkmate of an opponent's king.

Takoage 　たこあげ

Takoage means "kite-flying." It is a popular New Year activity for children in Japan.

Hanetsuki 　はねつき

Hanetsuki is a traditional New Year game similar to badminton. It is played with an ornamented wooden paddle by girls dressed in kimono.

Gate Ball 　ゲートボール

Gate ball is an outdoor sport popular among elderly people. It is modeled after croquet, and is played by two teams of five players. Play consists of knocking wooden balls through a circuit of wickets with wooden mallets in order to reach the goal.

Koko-yakyu 　高校野球

Koko-yakyu is high school baseball, and is comparable to American college football in popularity. A nationwide tournament is held twice a year. It is televised and draws enthusiastic viewers from all over Japan.