Suikawari

Suikawari, meaning watermelon splitting, is a traditional Japanese game in which a blindfolded participant tries to crack open a whole watermelon using a wooden stick. Played mainly during the summer months at beaches, festivals and picnics, the game begins with the blindfolded player spun around three times before being handed a bokken-style stick and directed toward the melon by the shouted guidance of onlookers calling out left, right or straight ahead. The first player to split the watermelon open wins the round, and the broken fruit is then shared among everyone present, turning the contest into a communal snack. The activity closely resembles the pinata tradition found in other cultures, substituting a fruit for a hanging container of treats. Suikawari gained a degree of formal structure in 1991, when the Japan Suika-Wari Association codified rules covering the required equipment, striking distance, time limits and judging criteria, giving an otherwise casual beach pastime a standardized competitive form.