Not it!

Japan is facing a serious problem. For years now there has been a general malaise in its global standing which it can’t seem to pull itself out of. I’m talking of course about its ranking in international competitive hide-and-seek – or “kakurenbo” as it’s called here – in which Japan comes in a very ho-hum ninth, far behind first-place Italy and second-place France.

In an effort to get out of this slump, the Japan Hide-And-Seek Association holds events for the nation’s best to hone their hiding and seeking while also seeking out untapped potential. The next such event is scheduled for 3 and 4 November and will take place on Tsumaga Island, an uninhabited islet off the coast of the larger Iki Island in Nagasaki Prefecture.

The association is seeking out 100 participants, 90 of whom will be hiders and the remaining 10 will be “it” or “oni” to use the Japanese parlance. Players can be university age or up but must have a child-like enthusiasm for playing hide-and-seek while also being able to appreciate the natural beauty of a desert island enough to camp out overnight on one after the game.

Under the rules of this two-hour main game, when someone who’s “it” discovers a hider, the hider then also becomes “it.” Once time elapses there will be prizes for those who stay hidden the longest, as well as for the oni who find the most people. There is a point system in which 10 points are awarded for every 10 minutes someone has not been found. The oni will receive half of the points that their victim gets for hiding. So, if I hide for one hour before I’m found, I get 60 points and the oni that found me gets 30 points. I can then continue to rack up more points as an oni myself.

There will also be other mini-games during the two days to keep things interesting. Members of the Japan national hide-and-seek team as well as the Japan Self-Defense Force are also expected to take part.

Applications will be accepted from 25 August and the participation fee is 24,800 yen (US$161) which goes towards food and the cost of renting the island. There is also a 2-night plan for 45,800 yen where participants can spend an additional night at a nearby ryokan inn and enjoy a little additional sightseeing and R&R before heading out to the island.

The Japan Hide-And-Seek Association is also looking for volunteers to help run the game. For those interested in helping out on that end, there will be a pre-game event on 24 and 25 August for 30 volunteers. The cost to take part in this is 13,800 yen and will involve playing the same hide-and-seek game while also getting instructions on how to help manage the event to get a feel for both sides of it.

▼ You can’t judge a person until you’ve hidden an hour in their thicket.

Although this is held by the Japan Hide-And-Seek Association in the hopes of finding talent to represent the country in international competition, there don’t appear to be any restrictions based on nationality. However, functional Japanese language ability would be important in order to follow the rules and directions.

It also doesn’t mean you can’t look at this as a unique summer vacation plan if you’re among the few people in Japan taking one. After all, this is one place in Japan that’s guaranteed to not be too crowded.

Source: Japan Kakurenbo Association, PR Times
Images: PR Times
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