Kitsune-ken or Tohachi-ken (Patreon)

Hello there!

This is so freaking neat!

Okay, we all know how to play rock, paper scissors (jan ken pon!). But did you know about this older version called kitsune-ken or tohachi-ken (東八拳),

It used to be a kind of parlor game or drinking game (or strip game!). It was played among geisha and their customers, and from the image above, oiran. Instead of throwing out rock, paper, or scissors with one hand, though, you have one of three gestures to choose from.

1. Hands on thighs, slight bow = Village Leader (Shōya, 庄谷)

2. Both hands up, either flat palms facing outward, making a peace sign by your head, or what I guess I'd call the ol' heavy metal devil's horns, but think "fox" because this sign = Fox, kitsune

3. One hand in front of the other like you're pointing an old matchlock gun = Hunter (Ryōshi, 猟師)

Rules or Who Beats Whom:

So Hunter beats fox (obvious).

Fox beats Village leader (because kitsune magic).

Village leader beats hunter because, well, he's the boss.

Here's another photo:

There seem to be all kinds of ways to play, with music or clapping to keep time before making your gesture.

It's a little hard to explain but watching people play is really fun.

Here's a really neat video.

I've watched that several times and my brain doesn't move fast enough to catch who's winning. Even when they do it slow.

I think the rules are when a person gets three wins they switch persons.

Here's another.

That one is even harder to catch. I guess that woman is a high ranked player.

So like jan-ken and kitsune-ken, there are many more 'ken' games.  

Here's an older version called mushi-ken (bug ken) where you play with only your fingers.

Here you have little finger (slug), thumb (frog), and snake (index finger). Snake defeats frog. Frog defeats slug. Slug defeats snake. Oh, but there's MORE! There's a game called Tora Tora (Tiger Tiger) that geisha still play today. Here's what that looks like. The difference here is that the entire body is used to act out either a tiger (crawling posture), a mother (bent with walking stick), or warrior (stabbing tiger with sword). You have a screen between you so can't see the other preparing for their pose.

And there's ANOTHER!

There's one called Sangokuken which were the countries of Japan, China, India and it used their main deities as characters in the game. So Japan would be Amaterasu (make a circle with fingers to represent the sun) who defeats China's Confucius (old man stroking beard) who beats India's Buddha (pointing to the ground and heaven) and then Buddha would defeat Amaterasu to come full circle.

Here's an instructional woodblock print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi

This is so much fun. I think about growing up and how me and my friends decided on anything...um, lets flip a coin. Uh, do you have any straws? We could draw straws. That's as exciting as it got. We didn't know about rock, paper, scissors back then (in Alaska, then the deep south). I don't think I learned jankenpon until university and I learned it from my Japanese friends. Also, what the heck kind of games did we play? This was before fun things like computer or handheld games, so basically I just spent the hours from dawn to dusk running wild in the forest or neighborhood, mostly getting into trouble. Trees were climbed, bugs collected, all that wonderful nature stuff, but as for games...duck duck goose. Hide and seek. Tag. What did kids play when all you got is yourself? Then? Now? Oh, maybe...I Spy With My Little Eye or Twenty Questions. Anyway, while I was writing the above I found this great post about the history of these 'ken' games if you want to read more. There are some videos linked in it as well. That's here.

Stay safe and well, Two week countdown to the US. It's been years. Nervous, excited. A little bit losing my mind trying to get ready. I'll see if I can get Richard to play Kitsune-ken with my on the 14-hour flight. XO,

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