Japanese: Animal Zodiac Board Game

This colourful board game would make a fabulous activity to start the New Year! It is based around the Japanese Zodiac,十二支. The twelve animals making up the zodiac are taken from the Chinese lunar calendar, which was created in the year 425! There are several legends regarding the choice and order of the animals, but most centre around a race, organised by a ‘god’. YouTube links to the story in Japanese and English are included.

The aim of the game is to move around the board, collecting name cards that match the animal pictures landed on. The element of chance is included to make the game more engaging and fun! Flashcards of the 12 animals and their names are included, if students are unfamiliar or need revision of them.

The game board is made up of 2 x A4 pages, which ideally would be laminated together. Two types of card sets are included and their use is explained.

Students can strengthen their ability to read hiragana by playing this game.