A day for Competitive Spirit!

Today, and January 8th annually, is Shōbugoto no Hi 勝負事の日 . The word shobugoto 勝負事 refers to anything involving winning and losing; from sports and board games to friendly competitions and even big life decisions. 

The date comes from a playful reading of the numbers 1 (ichi) and 8 (hachi) as “ichi ka bachi ka” ; a well‑known Japanese expression. Its equivalent to some English expressions such as 'sink or swim', 'go big or go home', 'take a chance'. The Japanese phrase originally came from the Edo‑period dice game Chō‑Han, where players bet on whether the dice would land on 丁 (even) or 半 (odd). The upper parts of these kanji resemble the numbers 1 and 8, which solidified the choice of January 8th as the date for shobugoto day.

Shōbugoto no Hi is a perfect example of Japan’s love for goroawase (number puns) and its deep cultural connection to games, luck, and seasonal observances.