Hanetsuki

Hanetsuki is a traditional Japanese game similar to racket sports such as badminton, but played without a net, using a rectangular wooden paddle called a hagoita to bat a brightly colored shuttlecock known as a hane back and forth. It is traditionally played by girls around the Japanese New Year, although players of any gender may take part, and it can be played either solo, with a single player trying to keep the shuttlecock aloft as long as possible, or as a two-player rally in which the shuttlecock is batted between opponents. A common house rule marks a player who fails to return the shuttlecock with a smear of India ink on the face, adding a playful penalty to missed shots, and a folk belief holds that keeping the shuttlecock airborne longer offers protection from mosquitoes over the coming year. Historically the shuttlecock was made from soapberry nuts, and the decorative hagoita paddles used in the game, often adorned with images of kabuki performers or celebrities, remain widely sold across Japan as ornamental items even as active play of the game itself has declined in recent decades.