鬼ごっこ

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 鬼ごっこ(おにごっこ) is tag, a game in which the player who is 'it' chases and catches the others.
• Basic usage: It appears in scenes of playing in a park or adapting the game for an indoor setting.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• 鬼 within the game
  • Here, 鬼 names the role of the player who catches the others.
  • 鬼になる can mean taking the role of 'it' in the game.
• Difference from かくれんぼ
  • かくれんぼ is hide-and-seek, which centers on finding hidden players; 鬼ごっこ centers on chasing players who run away.