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Friday, December 24, 2021
On Tuesday, December 21st, from 5:30pm, in the pouring snow, the 1st Hokuryu Kendama Festival, sponsored by the Hokuryu Kendama Club (representative: Naoki Kishi), was held in the large hall on the second floor of the Hokuryu Town Community Center. Approximately 20 energetic elementary and junior high school students from Hokuryu Town participated.
- 1 History of the Establishment of the Hokuryu Kendama Club
- 2 "KENDAMA" booms worldwide
- 3 Kendama Examination Examiner, Akamatsu John Masateru
- 4 Seisa International High School Asahikawa Campus, Vice Campus Director Kenji Kato
- 5 The 1st Hokuryu Kendama Festival
- 6 Closing remarks: Naoki Kishi, Representative
- 7 Other photos
History of the Establishment of the Hokuryu Kendama Club
The Hokuryu Kendama Club was founded by Naoki Kishi (29 years old), an employee of the Hokuryu Town Board of Education. Activities began on September 14th of this year with the aim of promoting interaction between local people through kendama and creating a society filled with daily enjoyment. Activities are held every Tuesday, and currently there are many days when the number of participants, including children from the town, exceeds 20.
The impetus for founding the Hokuryu Kendama Club came from an event held in July 2020 as part of a children and elderly interaction project. When Kishi invited Atsuma Kendama Club representative Retsu Saito, also known as "Kendama Kenchan," he was impressed by the children's engrossed enjoyment of playing with kendama.
Mr. Kishi, who had experience with Kendama for some time, later heard from Mr. Saito of Atsuma Kendama Club and decided to establish a Kendama club in Hokuryu Town.
Children's interest is growing, coupled with the recent popularity of Kendama, such as "Tsutsuken" and Fuji TV's "Kendama Christmas 2021."
▶ Instagram here >>
"KENDAMA" booms worldwide
Recently, Kendama seems to be spreading worldwide. It all started around 2006 when a professional skier who was visiting Japan brought back a Kendama as a souvenir. Nowadays, it is affectionately known as "KENDAMA," and performances that combine it with new sports and dances are gaining popularity.Reference: wiki・kendama）。
Zumadanke: A performance that combines music, dance and Kendama Kendama World Cup Hatsukaichi 2021 (Online) Level 12 (Highest)Activities to popularize "Kendama" in Japan
Currently, there are two organizations active in Japan (Reference: GLOKEN). Hokuryu Kendama Club operates in accordance with the Global Kendama Network (GLOKEN), a general incorporated association.
- Public Interest Incorporated Association Japan Kendama Association(Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)
・Kendama tradition and popularization: "Kendama Way" that values tradition and form - General incorporated association Global Kendama Network(GLOKEN: Headquarters: Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture)
・Connecting the world with Kendama: The essence of Kendama is seen as "play"
Kendama Christmas 2021 (Fuji TV Kendama Club)
By the way, the Fuji TV Kendama Club's event, "Kendama Christmas 2021," is a challenge project in which participants can win wonderful prizes, including a kendama, by completing a designated trick every day between December 1st and 25th and posting a video of it on Instagram.
Kishi is uploading his "Kendama Christmas 2021" techniques to the Hokuryu Kendama Club Instagram every day, and is working hard to win prizes for the Hokuryu Kendama Club.
New game "Tsutsuken"
New updated versions of the Kendama have also appeared. One popular game is "Tsutsuken" (invented by Shimizu Satoru), which uses a cylindrical handle with a ball filled with sand.
Kendama Examination Examiner, Akamatsu John Masateru
The examiner for today's Kendama test is internationally certified John Akamatsu (47 years old, representative of the asahidama Kendama team). He came all the way from Asahikawa City in the snow.
▶ Instagram here >>
Akamatsu, who has loved Kendama since elementary school, was shocked by the cool and stylish Kendama play when he saw a YouTube video of USA Kendama and immediately became obsessed with Kendama!
Until then, Akamatsu had been working in the apparel industry, but in 2019 he started a Kendama team called "asahidama" in Asahikawa City and is currently active there!
Foreign-made Kendama
This time, kendama from ROOTS (Asahikawa City), a kendama life store owned by Akamatsu, were on display and for sale. The children were captivated by the colorful kendama made in countries such as America, the Netherlands, and Hong Kong, which are not usually seen.
▶ Click here for the GLOKEN Kendama Map article >>
Japanese Kendama
Kendama from overseas (America, Holland, Hong Kong)
Tsutsuken
Seisa International High School Asahikawa Campus, Vice Campus Director Kenji Kato
Mr. Kenji Kato, also known as "Katoken," Vice Campus Director of Seisa International High School, a correspondence high school, was in attendance with members of the school's Kendama club. He gave the children of Hokuryu Town tips on basic Kendama techniques.
Soan-san
Taiga
The 1st Hokuryu Kendama Festival
Kendama experience, Kendama practice, Kendama test
Practice on your own
Kendama Examination
The Kendama test is taken by each participant. The examiner is Akamatsu John Masateru.
- Kendama Medal Challenge:3rd grade, 2nd grade, 1st grade
- basic:3rd grade, 2nd grade, 1st grade
- Advanced:3rd grade, 2nd grade, 1st grade
Congratulations to Kissy (Kishida Naoki) for passing the Advanced Level 3 and Level 2 exams!
Unicorn King Tournament
Participants place a kendama on their forehead and move forward, enduring the effort to prevent it from falling, competing for speed. Participants are divided into groups of 10, and compete in a tournament format in which five people are eliminated, with the last five competing in the finals.
Congratulations on your victory, Yui!
Trick Battle
Challenge yourself to a skill that suits your level! There are three levels, 1, 2 and 3, and you can try four different skills at each level. The order is decided by drawing lots. You can try each skill up to five times. Points are deducted for each failure, and the person with the highest total skill points wins.
- Level 1:Large and small plates, 10 rounds of Moshikame, baseball, (spinning) Tomeken
- Level 2:Hand-held platter - Ken, Moshikame 15 times, Tomeken, Trapeze
- Level 3:Stop, Moshikame 20 times, Around Japan, Airplane
Nervous but working hard!
"How was it?" "I was so nervous!!!"
The second and third place winners were awarded original "asahidama" badges!!!
Congratulations on your victory, Ryu!
"I was so happy to win my first Kendama competition!" said Ryu with great enthusiasm!
Let's all play!
The person who takes the same action when Katoken's technique succeeds or fails wins!
There were so many people who succeeded in their tricks!!! Katoken failed, and the person who failed won the prize. He got a "kendama"! Lucky boy!
Adult play battle
Each person takes turns attempting the most difficult feats and aiming to clear the level!
Soan, clear!
Closing remarks: Naoki Kishi, Representative
"To be honest, I never thought we'd be able to hold an event like this with everyone, starting in September of this year. But everyone has been practicing hard at home, and I could see from the scratches on their kendama that they've practiced so much, so I'm really glad we did it.
I hope we can hold an event like this again next year. I will continue to work hard to improve my skills. I would like to express my gratitude to everyone from "Asahidama" who came today, and give them a round of applause. Applause!!!
This marks the end of the Kendama Club for this year. We will let you know the practice dates and times in January of next year. Thank you very much for coming today!!!" said Representative Kishi in a word of gratitude.
To everyone who had fun~~~! Hi!!!
At the end of the event, the children received some sweets as participation prizes and then headed home.
That was fun! Thank you for your hard work!
With boundless love, gratitude and prayers to the Hokuryu Kendama Club, where members are full of energy, smiles, and have a blast while mastering skills...
Other photos
Photos (164 photos) from the 1st Hokuryu Kendama Festival 2021 are here >>◇ Photography and editing: Noboru Terauchi Interview and text: Ikuko Terauchi
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