Sugoroku
In Japan there's a game that is very similar to backgammon. This game is called sugoroku or ban-sugoroku (board sugoroku) and it is the oldest game ever played in Japan.
The word sugoroku means "two sixes" in Japanese and it probably derived from the characters that were used in the Chinese variations of this game, the shuang lu.
Sugoroku's rules are very similar to backgammon besides the board that looks like the backgammon board with three parallel sections, twelve rectangular spaces and flank in the center section.
The initial configuration of the stones is just the same as in backgammon.
History
The game was brought to Japan from China in the sixth century. In Japan the game was made illegal several times since it's a luck-based game and people used it for gambling.
During the years many variations of the game were invented but the original variation of the game is still popular in Japan even nowadays, especially thanks to the video version of the game that many Japanese players play on the Internet or in video games parlors.
Importance
Sugoroku is more than a game in Japan. Its importance exceeded the importance of any other board or card game. Many people in Japan attribute the game many educational functions and consider it a tool to develop social skills and personal attributes.