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Yasumi Jikan Koujou Iinkai The Break Time Improvement Committee Gakkou e Ikou! is still essentially about schools and youth, and therefore, they found it very interesting that most students had nothing to do in the breaks between classes. They would talk to friends or sleep, but not much else. Therefore, they started up this segment asking for suggestions of fun group games to play during school breaks. Every segment takes place in the fictional "Minorikawa Academy", where a class gets ready for their break. They don't appear all at once (usually 4 or 5 at a time), but every Gakkou e Ikou! member has a different character: Sakamoto-kun is the troublesome punk, Nagano-kun is the geek, Inocchi is the class president, Go-tsun is the tough one, Ken-ken is the cute one, Okada-kun is the introspective one, Marina-san is the athletic tomboy, Saeko-chan is the new student, and Mino-san is the principal. On top of that, many stars have come on as guest students, including Johnny's soloist Tacky, KinKi Kid's Tsuyoshi-kun, Arashi's Ninomiya, singer Sonin, former idol Aida Shouko, and professional wrestler Chouno Masahiro. 
The leader for the day (usually Okada-kun or another member of KamiSen) introduces the game to the group. Although the games all differ, they operate the same way: someone is chosen to be the Starter for each round through Jan Ken Pon (Japanese rock-paper-scissors). After a clever chant to start things off, the game goes around until someone loses. The Loser is then punished by the Starter... by recieving the dreaded dekopen. Know when you take your fingers and flick someone's forehead as hard as you can? That's a dekopin in Japanese. Here, a dekopen is when you take a pencil and flick it at someone's forehead as hard as you can. The animation of Jun-kun to the left shows the dekopen in action. I've never tried it, but everyone seems to agree that the dekopen is incredibly painful. If anyone wants to give it a shot, notice that Jun-kun is practicing correct dekopen safety, by covering his eyes and using a pencil with a grip pad on one end. After the round is over, another Starter is chosen and the game continues. It usually ends after everyone has gotten a solid dekopen at least once. At the very end of the segment, the leader gets back up and tells everyone to send in their games. Then, in the slightly awkward silence that followed the first segment, the original leader Okada-kun simply started waving his arms and dramatically danced/slid off screen. It started a pattern that he repeated every time he was the game leader. After one game, Okada-kun flailed around a bit and half-jumped off screen while saying, "Michelle Kwan". Okada-kun has a really odd sense of humor, but he set a precident. When Go-tsun forgot to dance around like a weirdo the first time he was the leader, Ken-ken took up the slack and danced for him. Odd...Game #1: Tongue Twister Games I decided to group all of these games together, since they're essentially the same thing. For the "Myanmar Game", for example, the first person says, "Myanmar." The next person says, "Myanmar Myanmar", the third says "Myanmar Myanmar Myanmar", and so on until someone screwes up. It sounds extremely easy, but you'd be surprised how quickly people lose count or things descend into, "mya-mya-mya-mya." Variation #1: Shikotsuko Game Exactly the same, but the word "shikotsuko" is used instead. Variation #2: Kaikinshou Game (Perfect Attendance Award Game) This game uses two words, muchikoku (no tardies) and mukesseki (no absences), hence the title of the game. The first person says "muchikoku" and the next says "muchikoku mukesseki". The third person then says "muchikoku mukesseki muchikoku" while the fourth says "muchikoku mukesseki muchikoku mukesseki". Surprisingly enough, people seemed to have an easier time with this game than just the regular tongue twister games. Personally, I have to concentrate with all of my strength just to get through it once. Variation #3: Chikyuubi Game This game uses two words, chikyuubi (globe) and chibichikyuubi (little globe). The rules are the same as Variation #2, but this one is difficult to say even once. I'm horrible at this game... Variation #4: Nakatomi no Kamatari Game This game uses two phrases, Nakatomi no Kamatari (a historical Japanese figure) and namagomi no katamari (a bundle of raw garbage). Like Variation #2, the phrases are alternated and added until someone screws up. Believably or not, everyone doing this game did shocking well, spitting it out fast and furiously. The only one who really screwed up was Nagano-kun, who was so anxious about his turn that he couldn't even get through his first "Nakatomi no Kamatari". F-for shame. Because that looks so easy, too. Variation #5: Papua New Guinea Game This game uses two phrases, Papua Nyuu Ginia ("Papua New Guinea") and Papa wa Gyuunyuuya ("Papa's a milkman"). Like Variations 2 & 3, the phrases are alternated and added until someone screws up. Unlike before, however, everyone had a heck of a time completing this one. Even Mino Monta STARTED a round by confidently shouting, "Papua Gyuunyuuya~!" Game #2: "Nimoji Shiritori" (Two Character Word Chain) A shiritori is a word game where someone says a word, and the next person has to come up with a word that begins with the last letter of the previous word. For instance, if one person said "gakkou", the next person could say "uchi". It works a little differently in Japanese, since they use syllables, which can either be a vowel ('u'), consonant-vowel ('ku'), or just 'n'. So if someone says "kamera" (ka-me-ra), the next word has to begin with 'ra', not 'a'. And since there is no Japanese word beginning with 'n' in Japanese, anyone who uses a word that ends with 'n', such as "dekopen" (de-ko-pe-n), is also out. Having explained that, nimoji means TWO characters, so the "Nimoji Shiritori" game means that you have to make a word with the last TWO syllables of the previous word. So if one person starts out and says "ongaku" (o-n-ga-ku), the next person has to some up with a word that begind with 'gaku', like "gakuen" (ga-ku-e-n). Because of the Japanese language, the game is slightly more complicated than that, with all sorts of rules to account for "little" characters, but that's the basic idea of the game. The first time they played this game, it featured one of the best paybacks I've ever seen. Okada-kun began the first round as the Starter, and came up with the word "konnyaku" (ko-n-nya-ku). Well, unfortunately for poor Saeko who was next, there IS no word in Japanese that starts with 'nyaku'. Everyone told Okada-kun that he was being too unfair, but Saeko got a dekopen. Okada-kun was starter again for the next round, and the word chain went like this: "gakusei", "seigaku", "gakumon", "mondai", "daikon", "konnyaku". Only this time, it was Sakamoto-kun, who was sitting right before Okada-kun, who came up with "konnyaku". Okada-kun banged his head on his desk in frustration, but it seemed like the ultimate just punishment. Game #3: Renzoku Shimei Game (Serial Naming Game) This is a fun little game that's surprisingly hard. The Starter begins by calling out the name of someone who's playing. That person then has to call out the name of the person who called them and adds another name. For example, if Morita was the starter, the game would go like this: Morita: "Okada". Okada: "Morita Saeko". Saeko: "Okada Nagano". Nagano: "Saeko Okada". And so on. There's just two basic rules, though. You can't call on the person who just called you, and you can't call out your own name. So in the example above, Saeko couldn't say "Okada Okada" or "Okada Saeko". This sounds ridiculously easy, but it's surprising what happens when you get rushed and flustered. During one game, someone called out "Sakamoto", which was odd since he wasn't playing that day. Game #4: Pachi Pachi 7 (Clap Clap 7) Man, this was MY game that I was actually going to send in. Makes me mad, grrr... Anyway, this is a great counting game that'll make you think. Basically, everyone goes around in a circle counting. However, when you reach a multiple of 7 or a number that ends in 7, you don't say the number and clap instead. So you would clap at the numbers 7, 14, 17, 21, 27, 28, etc. It sounds easy, but it's a whole lot harder than you might think. Tsuyoshi-kun kept getting caught because he always missed his multiples of 7. Inocchi made a remarkable mistake at the very beginning of a round by clapping as he said the number 1. Oops... On a side note, this game also works well when you use the number 3 or 4 in place of 7. *UPDATED* Game #5: Rhythm 4 This is another great counting and rhythm game that's too addicting for words. First thing to learn is the hand motion. On count one, you clap your hand down on your desk (or lap). On count two, you clap your hands together. On count three, you stick your thumb out on your right hand and jerk it to the right. On count four, you stick your thumb out on your left had and jerk it to the left. Then it starts all over again. Got it? The hand motions are one half of the game and continue the entire time. (Which is really fun because people tend to speed up rather than slow down. ^_^) Then, everyone playing the game is given a two syllable nickname that everyone agrees upon. Believe it or not, but this is really important. Finally, the game itself. The Starter begins by calling out someone's nickname, followed by a number 1-4. The name is called on count 3 of the clapping, the number on count 4. The person who's nickname was called then must repeat their nickname the number of times as the number given. However, they must do so in rhythm, and the last time they say their nickname has to be on count 4. Then they go on to call out someone's nickname and a number. It sounds more complicated than it is, so here's an example of how a game would work:
And so on. The counting continues all the way through, and anyone who screws up the clapping rhythm or their chanting rhythm loses the round. This game is tons of fun and a great way to pass some time. There are many bonus rules, too, although I would highly suggest that not more than two be initiated at the same time. Bonus rule #1: Ooo~ 1 The "Ooo~ 1" rule adds a fun little twist to the game. Now, when someone says "[name] 1", EVERYONE playing the game must say, "Ooo~ [name]" on counts 3 and 4. Also, on count 3, everyone must form both hands into fists, and on count 4, pump them straight up into the air. The game continues play with the person who's name is called continuing on. So to adjust the above example:
It certainly makes the game interesting. Ken-ken and Nagano-kun both started added the new hand motions when they weren't needed, and Okada-kun was so amused watching others do "Oooo~ Oka" that he kept missing his turn. Bonus rule #2: Rhythm 8 With this addition to the game, you can now call out any number between 1-8. For the numbers 1-4, the game works exactly the same with no changes. For the numbers 5-8, an additional 4 claps are simply added onto the pattern.
Bonus rule #3: Cheke Rule 
I'm honestly not sure how someone came up with this. With the "Cheke" rule, you can replace the number with the word "cheke". Instead of saying their own name, however, the person you called must say "Yo! cheke, ra, cho". (Although it doesn't entirely make sense at first, this phrase actually translates to "Yo! Check it out, yo!") Also, the normal hand claps are replaced slightly. On counts three and four, you make rapper hand motions, as demonstrated to the right by Jun-kun. So the game can be further expanded like so:
Some people thought the Cheke rule was terribly embarrassing, but as can be expected, others (i.e. Inocchi) got really into it. Inocchi was chiding other players for not having more confident "Cheke" hand motions. Meanwhile, his own performance was so flamboyant that Marina kept screwing up, she was laughing so hard. Bonus rule #4: Kani Rule (Crab Rule) Somewhat like the "Ooo~ 1" Rule, this rule applies when someone calls the number 2. Instead of repeating your name twice, you have to say the words "Kani Kani". While saying these words, you have to make a special "crab" gesture: on counts 3 and 4, you hold two fingers out on each hand, like scissors. You hold your hands so that the fingers are right next to your eyes, and then you "cut" them together in rhythm. The game would proceed like this:
I've only seen them perform this rule once. Okada-kun found it so funny, however, that he couldn't keep a straight face. Bonus rule #5: Inoki Rule Inoki-san is a famous Japanese boxer, who's catch phrase involves screaming, "1, 2, 3, da~!" while pumping his fist in the air. For this rule, the rhythm is changed a bit. You call someone's name on count 2, followed by "bonbaie". Then, everyone must chant, "1, 2, 3, da~!" On count 3 you make two fists, and on count 4 you pump your right hand into the air.
Game #6: Isshuukan Game (One Week Game) This is a great game that tests your skills in both English and Japanese, using the days of the week. The starter begins by saying "Monday" in either English or Japanese. The next person must say "Tuesday", but in the opposite language as the first person. This continues on until you hit Sunday, at which point the next person says "Return~!", and you start over at Monday again. In other words, you end up with two patterns that look like this: getsu, Tuesday, sui, Thursday, kin, Saturday, nichi, Return~! When it's your turn to say "Monday", you can start with either the English or Japanese version. This game takes place while standing, not sitting at a desk, so that you can more easily groove to the rhythm. I'm not quite sure why this is, either; I suspect it was a random whim on Okada-kun's part. For an additional challenge, don't use the word "Return" at the end of a line. Instead, call out the name of someone else in the group. The person who's name is called then has to start the next line with "Monday" or getsu. *NEW* Game #7: Narikiri DJ Game In this game, every player becomes a rhyming "rapper". The Starter picks a sound that commonly acts as the end of a word, such as en. In rhythm (and with really bad "rapper" wigs on), each person must say a word that ends with the syllable chosen: kyuuen (rescue), youchien (kindergarten), and kouen (park), for example. You get called out if you choose a word that's already been said, or say a word that doesn't actually exist (like Go's attempt to pass off kaien). It can work to your advantage, however. Saeko survived a great many rounds by confidently throwing together syllables and hoping a word existed. Mino Monta was so surprised by her vocabulary... Back | TV Index | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||