Yamanote Line Game

Sit in a circle with your drinks in front of you. Whoever starts calls the game and picks a category – types of fruit, car brands, European capitals, anything. Then everyone claps twice together, and on the next beat the next player has to name something that fits. Two more claps, next answer, and so it goes round the circle until someone slips up. Whoever slips up drinks.

The name comes from the Yamanote Line, Tokyo’s loop railway: originally, players took turns naming its stations. In Japan the game is also known as Kokon Tōzai, and it’s a staple of nomikai, the after-work drinking sessions with colleagues or friends.

How a round works:

• Call the category: The starter names the topic and decides whether play goes left or right.
• Keep the beat: Everyone claps twice between answers. Your answer has to land right on the next beat – not early, not late.
• Mistakes: If you hesitate, lose the rhythm, say something that doesn’t fit or repeat an answer, you take a sip.
• New category: Whoever just drank picks the next topic and kicks off the new round.

Variations

• With stations: Just like the original, name the stops on a line – pick a subway, tram or train line in your own city.
• Faster and faster: The clapping speeds up a little with every round.
• Categories that run out: Topics with only a few possible answers, like planets, months or star signs. Sooner or later everything’s been said, and whoever’s up next drinks.
• Alcohol-free: Instead of a sip, you get a penalty point. Three points and you choose the next song or fetch the snacks.

Tips

The best categories are ones everybody can join in on but that don’t have endless answers. One person should set the beat loud and steady, otherwise you’ll spend the whole time arguing over who was late. In bigger groups, agree that the same thing said in different words doesn’t count twice.