[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Japan's leading economic media outlet, Nihon Keizai Shimbun, claimed that the games featured in Netflix's popular Korean drama "Squid Game" originated in Japan. Most of these games were spread during the Japanese colonial period, sparking an unexpected controversy over the original source amid the global popularity of "Squid Game."
On the 29th, in a column titled "The Japanese Shadows Contained in Squid Game" by Shoutaro Suzuki, the Seoul bureau chief of Nihon Keizai Shimbun, it was argued that the roots of traditional Korean children's games trace back to the Japanese colonial era. A representative example is "Mugunghwa Kkotchi Pieotseumnida" (The Rose of Sharon Has Bloomed), whose Japanese name is "Daruma-san ga Koronda," with identical rules and melody, differing only in lyrics. He supported this claim by citing remarks from Lim Young-soo, director of the Yeongi Local Museum.
Director Lim Young-soo stated, "During the Japanese colonial period, children played a game called 'Daruma-san ga Koronda' in Japanese, which was observed by independence activists who adapted the melody and transformed it into 'Mugunghwa Kkotchi Pieotseumnida,' spreading it throughout Korea."
Not only "Mugunghwa Kkotchi Pieotseumnida," but also games like ttakji-chigi (folded paper tile flipping), marbles, and dalgona game are all familiar to Japanese people. In particular, it was claimed that the "Squid Game," which is the title of the drama, also originated in Japan.
The column stated, "Squid Game is a game where players draw an S-shape on the ground and attack each other's bases, and there is a theory that its roots are Japanese," adding that the similarity in the name supports this.
Nihon Keizai Shimbun also reported that, citing Director Lim, an investigation into how Korean textbooks describe these games found no mention of their Japanese origins among 133 textbooks. Director Lim requested the education office to note that 27 games are of Japanese origin, and it is known that revisions have begun for the national textbooks.
The column further mentioned the similarities between Korean and Japanese languages, and conversely, cases where cultures that came to Japan via the Korean Peninsula from China became established as Japanese culture, highlighting that Korea, Japan, and China have influenced each other through the long history of Northeast Asia.
The column concluded, "It is interesting that the content prompting such reflections was created by an American platform company and is being watched worldwide," adding, "Although I dislike cruel games like those in the drama, if you hear 'Daruma-san ga Koronda' on any street in the world, it too will be part of today's cultural transmission."
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