The shift in Japanese culture – from scooping goldfish to flowers

With a paper scooper in hand, you’re ready to join the traditional game of goldfish scooping! Originating in the ancient Edo period of Japan, this is one of the longest-established games in Japan. Once commonly seen at night markets in Hong Kong, the simple but challenging game has vanished from the streets. However, the tradition of scooping goldfish has also started to fade in Japan, as flowers are replacing the traditional fish.

With deep-rooted cultural significance in Japan, goldfish scooping is so popular that there are even national competitions held every year. Nevertheless, the traditional game has been widely criticised by animal welfare organisations. They’ve drawn the public’s attention to how the constant chasing and stirring is lethal to the fish. In addition, many of those who successfully catch the goldfish don’t know how to take care of them later, which leads to even more deaths.

Recently, many stalls for goldfish scooping have changed into flower scooping stalls. Though the concept of flower scooping started years ago, it didn’t bloom in Japan until recently. The floral twist of the game not only adds to the romance and creativity of the tradition, but has helped raise awareness of the importance of animal rights.