Yamanote Game

Origin: The Yamanote game (山手線ゲーム) has been an izakaya staple in Japan since the 1970s. It is named after Tokyo's Yamanote loop line, because the original version had players list its stations in order.

How to play:

1. Everyone claps a steady beat: twice on the thighs, twice in the hands
2. The caller names a category, for example beer brands or capital cities
3. Going around, each player names one matching item on the beat
4. The beat never stops, not even for thinking

Drinking:

• Fall out of rhythm and you drink
• Repeat an answer and you drink
• Draw a blank, drink, and call the next category

Tip: Wide categories keep the game running, narrow ones make it short and brutal.