A pointless back-and-forth; a situation where the same problem and countermeasure repeat without resolution (like a game of cat and mouse).
政府と住民の間で規制強化と抜け道の応酬が続き、いたちごっこになっている。
The back-and-forth of stricter regulations and loopholes between the government and residents continues; it's become a pointless cycle.
バグを直しても別の場所で同じ不具合が出て、いつもいたちごっこだ。
Even after fixing a bug, the same issue pops up elsewhere — it's always a never-ending cycle.
その議論は結論が出ずに堂々巡りで、まさにいたちごっこだ。
That discussion goes round and round without conclusion; it's exactly an itachigokko (pointless repetition).
いたちごっこをやめて根本的な対策を考えるべきだ。
We should stop the pointless back-and-forth and think about a fundamental solution.
The historic children's game (itachi-gokko) from the Edo period in which two players alternately pinch each other's hands and stack them while chanting; now mainly known as the original literal meaning.
子どものころ、友達と戸を指で挟み合ういたちごっこをして遊んだ。
When I was a child I played itachigokko with friends, pinching each other's hands with our fingers.
江戸時代の子供の遊びである「いたちごっこ」は、手の甲をつまんで重ねる遊びだった。
The Edo-period children's game called 'itachigokko' involved pinching the back of the hand and stacking them.