This article attempts to describe the problem of motivation of the students studying Japanese language at the university at the intermediate level. The role of the didactic games in foreign language teaching is undeniable. The task of the teacher is to create such conditions in which students will be willing and happy to learn a foreign language, which will undoubtedly contribute to the effective assimilation of knowledge and the acquisition of the necessary language skills. The games presented in the article are developed and tested by the author in Japanese classes to motivate students.