How do you decide who needs to do something? In the US, if it's just two people, they would probably flip a coin. Heads or tails—call it. If it's a group, they might rotate flips of the coin or use some other method like drawing straws or something like that.

In Japan, they would almost certainly instead play paper-rock-scissors, better known as Janken (じゃんけん). While this might be played in the US, it has the image of more of a kids' game and not a way to make decisions. But in Japan, it is much more of a thing.

So let's start off with the basic terms. Rock is guu (グー), paper is paa (パー) and scissors are choki (チョキ).

In the US, the words that are chanted as the players prepare to throw down their killer move seems to vary by region. In some places it is paper-rock-scissors, in others it is rock-paper-scissors, and in some it is one-two-three. Then each player reveals their move and sees who won.

In Japan it might also vary by region. I am in Aichi Prefecture, so that will be the version I cover here. Both players start with saisho wa guu (最初はぐう), "start with rock", then janken pon! (じゃんけんぽん) and they show their move on pon.

Next is a little different. In the US if there is a tie, the next round will just repeat paper-rock-scissors or whatever is the local variant. Where as in Japan, the players then say aiko desho (相子でしょ), "Looks like a tie", throwing out their move to time with the sho at the end of that phrase. That phrase will then keep repeating upon further ties, usually faster and faster.

In Japan, pretty much everyone plays janken, ranging from school kids all the way up to businessmen. I remember when I was a fresh face in Japan and had just joined a Japanese company, and I was kind of shocked when at a meeting, jobs were decided by a game of janken. It really is everywhere here!

How about in your country? Is paper-rock-scissors a popular game, or do you flip a coin, or something else? Let me know in the comments.

David LaSpina is an American photographer and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku. He blogs here and at laspina.org. Write him on Twitter or Mastodon.