We had a BBQ party last weekend with our Japanese friends and their family. We had fun under a not so hot but gloomy weather. We filled our stomachs with delicious grilled meat and seafood. After eating, one of our Japanese friends had a surprise game for the children. He showed me a watermelon and I thought we would eat that right away, but no. He said the children will play a game. The game is called Suica-Wari (watermelon smashing). I haven’t heard about this kind of game. All I know is that suica in Japanese is watermelon and wari is split. It is my first to hear this kind of game in Japan. My friend said it is a game usually played during summer at the beach, having picnics and BBQ parties.
My friend taught me some rules for playing Suica-wari. First, blind yourself with a towel or some sort of blindfold, hold the stick, rotate at least 3 – 5 times by using your stick as a pivot, then try to approach the watermelon placed about 5m away by relying on your friend`s advice and smash the watermelon! Easy. I think it`s not easy for me since turning around 3 or more makes you dizzy. It`s a simple game but fun and exciting.
JOHN 
Yukiko
