WRPSA. World Rock Paper Scissors Association.
Sign In

Rock Paper Scissors in Japanese: Janken

The Japanese name, gestures, chant, and timing—separated from uncertain folklore.

WRPSA

In Japanese, Rock Paper Scissors is called janken. Instructional materials use guu for Rock, choki for Scissors, and paa for Paper; a common sequence is saisho wa guu, then jan-ken-pon, with the gesture shown on pon. After a tie, players may continue with aiko desho. Exact wording and rhythm can vary by group.

What Is Rock Paper Scissors Called in Japan?

In Japanese, Rock Paper Scissors is janken (じゃんけん). A common round uses “jan-ken-pon” (じゃんけんぽん), with both players showing a hand on “pon.” English speakers sometimes use the chant as a name for the game.

Research on Japanese ken games documents a longer family of hand contests and distinguishes them from the modern three-gesture game. That record supports Japan’s central place in the game’s development, while leaving some simple origin timelines uncertain. See the origins guide for the sourced chronology.

The Three Hands in Japanese

  • Guu (グー): Rock, shown as a closed fist.
  • Choki (チョキ): Scissors, shown with the index and middle fingers extended.
  • Paa (パー): Paper, shown as an open hand.

These are the conventional game labels used by the instructional sources reviewed for this page. This page does not claim a settled sound-symbol origin for each term.

The Full Chant Ritual

Institutional teaching guides describe this common sequence:

  1. “Saisho wa guu” (最初はグー), commonly glossed as “first is Rock.” Players begin with closed fists and use the phrase to establish the rhythm before the simultaneous reveal.
  2. “Jan-ken-pon”. Both players show a gesture on “pon.”
  3. “Aiko desho” (あいこでしょ). After a tie, players use this continuation and reveal again. Groups may vary the exact cadence.

How Janken Is Used

Japanese educational and cultural materials describe janken as a way for children and groups to choose a leader, order, or winner. These are documented examples, not proof that every person or setting follows one national script. Its fairness also depends on the players and procedure; the equal-probability model is an assumption, not a guarantee about human throws.

Janken and WRPSA Match Timing

Janken traditions and WRPSA competition use the same three outcomes, but chants and cadence are local conventions. For a WRPSA match, follow the published reveal procedure. For casual practice, you can play online without treating one chant as universal.