Hanetsuki is a game which is unique to Japan, is played at New Year and has a history going back to the middle ages.
Modern day "Hanetsuki" consists of an ornately decorated paddle shaped bat known in Japan as a "Hagoita" and an equally decorated shuttlecock, known in Japan as a "Hane". (Hence my nickname)
It is a "keeping up game" in that the object is to keep the "Hane" in the air by repeatedly hitting it with the Hagoita. When children play they stand in a circle and hit it to each other . If a player misses and it falls to the ground, he/she is penalised by having their face blackened with a burnt cork.
Originally the game was played by soldiers as a military exercise. It then passed to the ladies, who donned their national costumes and played it at New Year. (1st to 7th January - Pine Decoration Season)
The game then passed to the children who also donned their finery to play it at New Year. However with the advent of the computer the
children lost interest and today the implements remain purely as home decoration for the New Year.
But the specialised craft of making the ornate instruments goes on
being made by craftsmen working throughout the year. Their work is then sold, mainly at a specialised fair held annually in the middle of December. The stalls are set up outside the Sensoji Temple in the Asagawa District of Tokyo.
From the earliest period of the Japanese Phone Card this game has been pictured on various cards. I have been attempting the difficult task of making a collection of them. Why difficult? Well no dealer seems to separate the "Hanetsuki" cards out into an individual theme.
I once trawled thru the 45,000 cards on Delcampe and found 5 of them. Can anyone please help in my task?