正月遊び （Shougatsu-Asobi）No. 2
福笑い (Fukuwarai)
Since Meiji period, it has been played, Fuku means happy, Warai stands for laugh in Japanese.
Blindfolding one person and placing the face parts without looking. Eyes, eyebrows, nose and mouth… As people guess the position but it hardly be placed where it should. Because the face looks funny, it make players laugh. Moreover, there is a proberb saying 笑う門には福来る = “Warau kado niha Fuku kitaru” means there comes lucks if people laugh – that is why it is called Fukuwarai.
めんこ （Menko）
Smashing own thick paper toward the ground and moving the others’ thick paper by the wind, pressure and impulse to win. The person who moved Menko gets the others’ Menko. The one who have more Menko is the winner.
It used to be made out from the thick cray shaped as a face, it was called 泥面子 (Doro-menko). Men (面) means face in Japanese. As the time goes, it is made with thick paper.
起こし (Okoshi): turning over the others’ Menko to win.
はたき (Hataki): Draw the circle on the ground and pushing the other Menko out from the circle by utilizing the wind, pressure and impulse to win.
おとし (Otoshi): Place Menko on the top of the box and push the others’ Menko to drop.
Little Japan Dictionary 
Nowadays when I read a new blog in Little Jaan Dictionary. I am finding the beliefs and culture similar to Nepal. 福笑い (Fukuwarai) is the word आखा छओपी (Aakha Chopi) In Nepal. where we use to Blindfold one person with a handkerchief placing in face parts without looking. Eyes, eyebrows, nose. And he is to guess the position of other people who tease him and pushes hard in Ground (Some people beat too / outpour their anger and Revenge against them)
It’s sad how today’s kid’s attention is caught by the advancement of technology. Playing outside in groups, in the grass, dirt, dust or mud and our memory of the games is lost in the sands of time
LikeLike