1.
traditional Japanese badminton
A traditional New Year's game where players use wooden paddles called hagoita to hit a shuttlecock back and forth.
お正月に姉と羽根つきをした。
I played hanetsuki with my older sister at New Year's.
羽根つきで負けると顔に墨を塗られる。
If you lose at hanetsuki, your face gets marked with ink.
昔は女の子が羽根つきをするのが一般的だった。
In the old days, it was common for girls to play hanetsuki.
CULTURAL CONTEXT: 羽根つき is a traditional New Year (お{正月}) game in Japan. Historically associated with girls, similar to how 独楽回し (top spinning) was associated with boys.
EQUIPMENT:
- 羽子板: wooden paddle (often decorated)
- 羽根: shuttlecock made with a seed and feathers
RULES:
- Players try to keep the shuttlecock in the air
- The loser traditionally gets their face marked with 墨 (ink)
- Often played cooperatively to see how many times the shuttlecock can be hit
DECORATIVE USE:
- Ornate 羽子板 are given as gifts, especially for a girl's first New Year
- Often feature images of kabuki actors or beautiful women
- Displayed as New Year decorations
SEASONAL WORD (季語): Winter/New Year in haiku poetry.