Episode 14
1.
貝合わせ（kaiawase）：It is a shell-matching game played by aristocrats. It is very popular during Heian Period in Japan. “awase” refers to matching or joining. A kaiawase set consists of 360 pairs of clam shells and each pair has the same image. The images have various themes such as poetic and seasonal themes. The shells are usually kept in a multi-tiered box which is called kaioke.
The rules of playing kaiawase: If the game is one using poetic texts, each shell would have half of the poem. The left shell is the male shell, which is called the “ji-gai” (ground shell); whereas the right shell is the female, which is called the “de-gai” (out shell). The ji-gai are spread on the floor and the de-gai are left in the kaioke box. The person has to pick one de-gai from the box and look for its pair (ji-gai) on the floor. The person who collects the most matching pairs is the winner.
2.
やりみず (yarimizu)：It is a narrow stream flowing through a traditional garden, especially in Heian Period villa. During Heian Period, people wanted to have flower petals and leaves flowing on the water’s surface.
3.
羽織（haori）：Haori are mid-length kimono coats that serve as light coats to be worn over kimono during the Heian Period. Haori was originally meant to be worn by men and the main function of haori was to keep the kimono from being exposed to the elements, until it became a fashion for women during the Meiji Period. Nowadays, haori are worn by both men and women and children, but men’s haori are usually shorter than women’s haori.
4.
蹴鞠（kemari）：It is a ball game which was originated in Japan during the Heian Period and it was played by courtiers. Kemari is played on a 6-7 meter square flat ground. Players have to keep the ball aloft in the air by using their head, feet, knees, back and elbows. The ball is called “mari”. Mari is made of deer skin and is stuffed with barley grains, and then it is sewn by using horse skin. The person who kicks the mari is called the “mariashi”.
5.
源氏ひかる：Genji hikaru is the protagonist of Murasaki Shikibu’s The Tale of Genjji （源氏物語）. “Genji” is the surname as a noble downgraded from the royalty; and “Hikaru” means shining. In The Tale of Genji, Genji Hikaru is a handsome man and is the second son of an Emperor. However, he is relegated to an imperial officer due to political reasons. The first part of the story is about Genji Hikaru’s romantic life, while the second part of the story focuses on Genji Hikaru’s agony.
6.
缶けり（kankeri）：It is called “kick the can” game and is a modified version of hide and seek. The can is placed at a certain place and someone who is hiding should kick it before the tagger/person （おに）touches him/her.
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貝合わせ（kaiawase）：It is a shell-matching game played by aristocrats. It is very popular during Heian Period in Japan. “awase” refers to matching or joining. A kaiawase set consists of 360 pairs of clam shells and each pair has the same image. The images have various themes such as poetic and seasonal themes. The shells are usually kept in a multi-tiered box which is called kaioke.
The rules of playing kaiawase: If the game is one using poetic texts, each shell would have half of the poem. The left shell is the male shell, which is called the “ji-gai” (ground shell); whereas the right shell is the female, which is called the “de-gai” (out shell). The ji-gai are spread on the floor and the de-gai are left in the kaioke box. The person has to pick one de-gai from the box and look for its pair (ji-gai) on the floor. The person who collects the most matching pairs is the winner.
2.
やりみず (yarimizu)：It is a narrow stream flowing through a traditional garden, especially in Heian Period villa. During Heian Period, people wanted to have flower petals and leaves flowing on the water’s surface.
3.
羽織（haori）：Haori are mid-length kimono coats that serve as light coats to be worn over kimono during the Heian Period. Haori was originally meant to be worn by men and the main function of haori was to keep the kimono from being exposed to the elements, until it became a fashion for women during the Meiji Period. Nowadays, haori are worn by both men and women and children, but men’s haori are usually shorter than women’s haori.
4.
蹴鞠（kemari）：It is a ball game which was originated in Japan during the Heian Period and it was played by courtiers. Kemari is played on a 6-7 meter square flat ground. Players have to keep the ball aloft in the air by using their head, feet, knees, back and elbows. The ball is called “mari”. Mari is made of deer skin and is stuffed with barley grains, and then it is sewn by using horse skin. The person who kicks the mari is called the “mariashi”.
5.
源氏ひかる：Genji hikaru is the protagonist of Murasaki Shikibu’s The Tale of Genjji （源氏物語）. “Genji” is the surname as a noble downgraded from the royalty; and “Hikaru” means shining. In The Tale of Genji, Genji Hikaru is a handsome man and is the second son of an Emperor. However, he is relegated to an imperial officer due to political reasons. The first part of the story is about Genji Hikaru’s romantic life, while the second part of the story focuses on Genji Hikaru’s agony.
6.
缶けり（kankeri）：It is called “kick the can” game and is a modified version of hide and seek. The can is placed at a certain place and someone who is hiding should kick it before the tagger/person （おに）touches him/her.
[Back to main page]