Bunri Launches Pre-orders for 'Kotobarie,' a Word Battle Game to Enhance Vocabulary, Creativity, and Communication Skills
Bunri Co., Ltd., a group company of Gakken Holdings Co., Ltd., began pre-orders for the board game 'Kotobarie' on online bookstores from April 27, 2026. This game, designed to be enjoyed by elementary school children to adults, aims to foster non-cognitive skills and intrinsic motivation for learning, promoting communication at home and school.
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Bunri Co., Ltd. (Shinagawa, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Shunpei Ogihara), a group company of Gakken Holdings Co., Ltd. (Shinagawa, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Hiroaki Miyahara), began pre-orders for the board game 'Kotobarie' on online bookstores from Monday, April 27, 2026.
As a publisher of educational reference books supporting learning at home, Bunri has focused on the potential of board games as a new tool to deliver "learning."
■ 'Elementary School Textbook Workbook 4-Subject Set' 2025 Bonus Product Commercialized
'Kotobarie' is a board game created as a bonus for the 2025 'Elementary School Textbook Workbook 4-Subject Set.' It has now been revamped and will be released as Bunri's first board game.
It is designed to be enjoyed by elementary school children from lower to upper grades, and also to be interesting for adults, connecting to communication at home and school.
▲ 2025 Elementary School Textbook Workbook 4-Subject Set
■ New "Learning" Value with Board Games
Bunri has supported home learning through educational reference books. With the launch of this board game, we believe we can offer new learning value that goes beyond simply solving problems at a desk.
One aspect is the development of non-cognitive skills. Unlike cognitive abilities such as calculation skills and knowledge, non-cognitive skills are abilities that cannot be measured numerically. They are emphasized in improving children's academic performance. 'Kotobarie' helps develop non-cognitive skills through aspects such as waiting for turns, following rules, and negotiating with opponents.
Another aspect is intrinsic motivation for learning. When playing 'Kotobarie,' thoughts like "When is the season for that fruit?" or "Wasn't there something of this color?" come to mind, fostering a desire to know more words. Players might even research whether an opponent's association is correct. This not only cultivates children's interest in vocabulary but also provides an opportunity for adults to re-learn.
■ How to Play
The basic rules are as follows:
Deal cards with words like "red," "fruit," "animal," "round," "5 letters," etc.
When it's your turn, play any number of cards from your hand in any combination and say one word associated with all those cards. (Example: Play "red" and "fruit" and say "apple.")
Other players judge whether the word is appropriate, and if it is, those cards can be removed from your hand.
Repeat the above process in order, and the first person to run out of cards wins.
You can adjust the difficulty by adding rules according to the bell.
Example of additional rules: "Must play at least two cards from hand," "Pass one card to the person on your left each turn," etc.
Since the number of cards to play in one turn is free, players can decide whether to play as many cards as possible at once to reduce them quickly, or to reduce them gradually and steadily.
Also, even if other players are not convinced by the cards you played, you can present your reasoning to overturn the judgment. Since many conversations are generated during the game, it is also ideal as a communication tool.
▲ Image during play
■ Game Information
Players: 1-4
Playtime: 15-30 minutes
Target Age: 5 years and older
Set Contents: 48 cards, 6 blank cards, instruction manual
■ 'Kotobarie' Product Overview
Price: 1,870 yen (tax included)
Scheduled Release Date: Tuesday, July 7, 2026
Format: B7 modified
ISBN: 978-4-581-19000-8
Publisher: Bunri Co., Ltd.
Official Website: https://portal.bunri.jp/game/kotobarie.html
Purchase/Pre-order: Scheduled to be sold at bookstores and online bookstores nationwide
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4581190002
Rakuten Books: https://books.rakuten.co.jp/rb/18607579
■ About Bunri
https://www.bunri.co.jp/
Founded in 1950, Bunri is an educational publisher. With the brand statement "Creating 'I see!' moments," we produce learning content, including textbook-aligned materials. Our main businesses include publishing and selling commercial reference books, materials for cram schools, and school-adopted textbooks, as well as assessment services and digital content services. While primarily focusing on elementary and junior high school students, in recent years we have expanded our scope to include early childhood, high school, and adult re-learning, striving to develop educational materials that create "I see!" moments for everyone.
■ About Gakken Holdings Co., Ltd.
https://www.gakken.co.jp/
Founded in 1946, Gakken Holdings is involved in education and medical welfare.
As a publisher of educational reference books supporting learning at home, Bunri has focused on the potential of board games as a new tool to deliver "learning."
■ 'Elementary School Textbook Workbook 4-Subject Set' 2025 Bonus Product Commercialized
'Kotobarie' is a board game created as a bonus for the 2025 'Elementary School Textbook Workbook 4-Subject Set.' It has now been revamped and will be released as Bunri's first board game.
It is designed to be enjoyed by elementary school children from lower to upper grades, and also to be interesting for adults, connecting to communication at home and school.
▲ 2025 Elementary School Textbook Workbook 4-Subject Set
■ New "Learning" Value with Board Games
Bunri has supported home learning through educational reference books. With the launch of this board game, we believe we can offer new learning value that goes beyond simply solving problems at a desk.
One aspect is the development of non-cognitive skills. Unlike cognitive abilities such as calculation skills and knowledge, non-cognitive skills are abilities that cannot be measured numerically. They are emphasized in improving children's academic performance. 'Kotobarie' helps develop non-cognitive skills through aspects such as waiting for turns, following rules, and negotiating with opponents.
Another aspect is intrinsic motivation for learning. When playing 'Kotobarie,' thoughts like "When is the season for that fruit?" or "Wasn't there something of this color?" come to mind, fostering a desire to know more words. Players might even research whether an opponent's association is correct. This not only cultivates children's interest in vocabulary but also provides an opportunity for adults to re-learn.
■ How to Play
The basic rules are as follows:
Deal cards with words like "red," "fruit," "animal," "round," "5 letters," etc.
When it's your turn, play any number of cards from your hand in any combination and say one word associated with all those cards. (Example: Play "red" and "fruit" and say "apple.")
Other players judge whether the word is appropriate, and if it is, those cards can be removed from your hand.
Repeat the above process in order, and the first person to run out of cards wins.
You can adjust the difficulty by adding rules according to the bell.
Example of additional rules: "Must play at least two cards from hand," "Pass one card to the person on your left each turn," etc.
Since the number of cards to play in one turn is free, players can decide whether to play as many cards as possible at once to reduce them quickly, or to reduce them gradually and steadily.
Also, even if other players are not convinced by the cards you played, you can present your reasoning to overturn the judgment. Since many conversations are generated during the game, it is also ideal as a communication tool.
▲ Image during play
■ Game Information
Players: 1-4
Playtime: 15-30 minutes
Target Age: 5 years and older
Set Contents: 48 cards, 6 blank cards, instruction manual
■ 'Kotobarie' Product Overview
Price: 1,870 yen (tax included)
Scheduled Release Date: Tuesday, July 7, 2026
Format: B7 modified
ISBN: 978-4-581-19000-8
Publisher: Bunri Co., Ltd.
Official Website: https://portal.bunri.jp/game/kotobarie.html
Purchase/Pre-order: Scheduled to be sold at bookstores and online bookstores nationwide
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4581190002
Rakuten Books: https://books.rakuten.co.jp/rb/18607579
■ About Bunri
https://www.bunri.co.jp/
Founded in 1950, Bunri is an educational publisher. With the brand statement "Creating 'I see!' moments," we produce learning content, including textbook-aligned materials. Our main businesses include publishing and selling commercial reference books, materials for cram schools, and school-adopted textbooks, as well as assessment services and digital content services. While primarily focusing on elementary and junior high school students, in recent years we have expanded our scope to include early childhood, high school, and adult re-learning, striving to develop educational materials that create "I see!" moments for everyone.
■ About Gakken Holdings Co., Ltd.
https://www.gakken.co.jp/
Founded in 1946, Gakken Holdings is involved in education and medical welfare.