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.
夏祭りで金魚すくいをした。
I played goldfish scooping at the summer festival.
子供たちは金魚すくいに夢中になっていた。
The children were absorbed in goldfish scooping.
金魚すくいで三匹も取れたのに、次の日にはもう一匹しかいなかった。
I scooped three goldfish, but by the next day only one was left.
A beloved summer festival (夏祭り / 縁日) 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 from a shallow tub of water. The challenge is that the paper tears easily when wet.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 金魚すくいをする (to play goldfish scooping)
- 金魚すくいの屋台 (goldfish scooping stall)
CULTURAL NOTE:
Goldfish scooped at festivals often don't survive long at home, which is a common shared experience in Japan. Professional 金魚すくい competitions also exist.