Flicking game

Flicking games emphasise precision and spatial reasoning. Ohajiki is the best-known: small, flat glass or plastic pieces are scattered on a smooth surface, and players take turns flicking one piece to hit another; the hit piece is captured. Traditionally associated with girls as an indoor game, ohajiki has roots in the Chinese danqi and was played in Japan with pebbles, shells, or Go stones before glass pieces became common in the Meiji period. The game is recognised for its educational value—fine motor control, angle and force, simple arithmetic of capture counts—and appears in kindergarten and elementary programmes. Decorated and seasonal ohajiki sets are still produced; the game remains a nostalgic symbol of Showa-era girlhood and a quiet, tactical alternative to noisier playground games. Pieces are typically 12–18 mm; glass slides differently from plastic. Clusters offer multiple captures in one flick. The game appears in Heian literature and is designated an educational toy. Each entry in this category includes rules, history, strategy tips, and where to buy ohajiki sets.