(きんぎょ)すくい

きんぎょすくい
noun
goldfish scooping
leisure
1. goldfish scooping
A traditional Japanese festival game where players try to scoop goldfish from a shallow pool using a thin paper scoop called a poi. A staple attraction at summer festivals.
夏祭(なつまつ)金魚(きんぎょ)すくいした
I played goldfish scooping at the summer festival.
子供(こども)たち金魚(きんぎょ)すくい夢中(むちゅう)になっていた。
The children were absorbed in goldfish scooping.
金魚(きんぎょ)すくい三匹(さんびき)()れた(つぎ)()もう一匹(いっぴき)しかいなかった。
I scooped three goldfish, but by the next day only one was left.

A beloved summer festival (夏祭(なつまつ) / 縁日(えんにち)) activity. Players pay a small fee and use a ポイ — a thin paper stretched over a wire frame — to try to scoop up 金魚(きんぎょ) from a shallow tub of water. The challenge is that the paper tears easily when wet.

Common collocations

Cultural note

Goldfish scooped at festivals often don't survive long at home, which is a common shared experience in Japan. Professional 金魚(きんぎょ)すくい competitions also exist.