Beanbag / skill game

Otedama is a beanbag juggling and rhythm game passed down from grandmother to granddaughter. Five small pouches (ojami), filled with azuki beans or plastic pellets, are tossed and caught in patterns: two-bag juggle, then three, four, five; or a gathering game like jacks, where one bag is tossed and others are scooped from the ground before the first is caught. Songs and chants accompany specific move sequences, and the emphasis is on skill and continuity rather than competition. The game nearly vanished during and after the war when beans were removed to feed children; a revival that began in Niihama in the early 1990s led to the formation of the Nihon Otedama Renmei and efforts to preserve it as intangible cultural heritage. Otedama symbolises the transmission of culture through the body and the voice, one generation to the next. Nagedama (tossing) and Yosedama (gathering) are the main forms; Otedama-kai clubs hold formal judging. Kimono fabric was traditional for ojami; today plastic fill is common. NHK documentaries have documented the revival. Each entry below includes full rules, history, and where to find ojami or join a club.