New on Meetup! Japanese Board Games & International Friends

We’re new on Meetup, but we already host a monthly English board game meetup where people connect, chat, and have fun! 🎉 Let’s gather around board games and enjoy meeting people from Japan and other countries! The main language will be English, with some simple Japanese mixed in as needed. There will be participants who are comfortable with both English and Japanese, so feel free to join even if you’re not fluent in both languages. ●Who This Event Is For • People who want to experience Japanese board games and culture • People who want to meet Japanese people and make friends • People who enjoy or are curious about board games • People looking for casual opportunities to speak English or Japanese ●Board Games We May Play Games will be selected based on the number of participants and the overall atmosphere, with a focus on games that naturally encourage conversation. 1. Target BINGO Write words related to the theme on your own sheet and try to get Bingo. Players take turns announcing one word at a time. If half or fewer of the players wrote that word, you can mark it with ○. But if more than half of the players wrote it, you must mark it with ✕. The key to winning is choosing just the right words — words that probably won’t be written by more than half the players, but might be written by at least one other person! 🎯 2. Word Wolf Each player receives a topic card, but one player secretly gets a different topic and becomes the “Word Wolf.” Through conversation, players try to figure out who has the different topic, while the Word Wolf must blend in without revealing that their word is different. As the discussion goes on, small moments of “Wait… something feels off” create exciting deduction, mind games, and lots of laughs in this social deduction conversation game. 3. Anata Ranking Seven Players rank items from 1 to 7 based on a given theme, then try to predict how others ranked them while collecting numbers to form stronger combinations. Because personal values naturally come into play, conversations flow easily and participants tend to connect quickly—even if meeting for the first time. 4. Just One A cooperative word-guessing game where players give clues to help one player guess the correct word. However, duplicate clues are canceled out, so choosing hints that are both unique and clear is the key challenge. 5. Word President Everyone writes down three words, then all the words are shuffled together. After that, each player draws three words to form their hand. On your turn, play one word from your hand that you think is stronger than the word currently on the table, and explain why. The other players judge your explanation, and if more than half of them agree, your play succeeds! Since you have to come up with reasons using only the words in your hand, this game tests your creativity and ability to explain your ideas. 6. Code Name A team game played in two teams. One player on each team becomes the Spymaster and gives clues to help their teammates identify their team’s words from the shared words on the table. The first team to find all of their words wins, so the key is whether the Spymaster can come up with clues that connect multiple words at once. ●Goal & Discovery Sheet Start with a small personal goal, like “Just have fun!” or “Use this phrase 3 times today!” You can also take notes on things you noticed or learned during the event and bring them home with you. ●Schedule 7:00 PM – Arrival & self-introductions 7:15 PM – Target Bingo with everyone 7:45 PM – Seat Shuffle & Table Games (1) 9:00 PM – Seat Shuffle & Table Games (2) 9:50 PM – Reflection & sharing impressions 10:00 PM – Scheduled end Late arrival is possible, but if you miss the start of a game, you may join as an observer and participate in conversation until the next game begins. ● Language Facilitator Tona (from Canada) Native speaker of both English and French. Calm, sincere, and thoughtful, he enjoys having meaningful conversations at a…