In the American version, the object is clearly to give yourself all the breaks you can possibly get, thereby to stay hidden in what is nitty-gritty competition for victory; in Japan, by contrast, it seems that the object is to be found, to be of material assistance in your own defeat!
So each time I see the game played here I am sorely tempted to tell my young relations to say nothing in response to the call of 'It' and just hide quietly, but that would bring the Japanese version of the game to an instant halt, since 'It' would never receive the signal to begin seeking, so would stand there forever, presumably. For whatever reason, that ploy has never been allowed to survive here...
As to what this means at the international level, all I can say is mada da yo...
Article comments
1 - Barbara Payne
For 9 years I had a stream of Japanese tenants occupy the first-floor apartment of my Shaker two-family. One of the most telling moments for me was when one of the couples was leaving after spending a 3-year residency at a local hospital and they mentioned something that had bothered them all along, but that hadn't wanted to hurt my feelings by mentioning it. So they simply pointed it out when they were leaving, saying I might want to change that for the next people.
I was mortified to think these lovely people had been inconvenienced for 3 long years and never said a word.
2 - N icolette
How interesting. To the Western mind, it seems so counter-intuitive.
3 - RJ
Very odd.
Of course, all cultures have their quirks. For instance, our culture's seeming obsession with talentless trollip Paris Hilton...
4 - Leoniceno
And half the world's obsession with soccer and cricket.
5 - Tristan
I love how the rest of the world is so quick to jump on the "isn't America horrible" bandwagon--without even thinking (the word Baaaaaaa comes to mind~~!!!)
and they are soooo quick to say how "weird" we Americans are with OUR strange cultural enigmas .......
But ~~~~~
I don't see too many American sports fans having huge stampedes and killing other sports fans after their team loses, like happens quite often at soccer games and championships in Europe and south America ....