The 5th Hokuryu Kendama Festival (organized by the Hokuryu Kendama Club) Adults and children alike challenged themselves to do their best in various things without fear of failure!

Monday, January 29, 2024

The 5th Hokuryu Kendama Festival was held on January 27 (Sat.) from 3:30 p.m. at the Kendo Room (2F) of the Hokuryu Rural Environment Improvement Center, organized by the Hokuryu Kendama Club (Representative Naoki Kishi).

The 5th Hokuryu Kendama Festival

The 5th Hokuryu Kendama Festival
The 5th Hokuryu Kendama Festival

This time, at the invitation of club adult member Ms. Kato, four of her adult friends joined the event, and about 50 energetic children and adults from Hokuryu Town and beyond enjoyed a lively, energetic, and heated battle.

Kendama Festival for adults and children to gather and enjoy
Kendama Festival for adults and children to gather and enjoy
Participants from out of town
Participants from out of town
John-san and Kitsushi take on the challenge in matching trainers from the NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen that they participated in last year!
John-san and Kitsushi take on the challenge in matching trainers from the NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen that they participated in last year!

Dr. Masateru Akamatsu JOHN (Asahikawa, Japan)

Dr. Masateru Akamatsu JOHN
Dr. Masateru Akamatsu JOHN

Today, thanks to Mr. Kato's spreading the word, we have adults in attendance. It's fun because they are improving their skills like crazy while watching the installations.

Last year, I participated in the NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen with Kisuki. We would like to continue to challenge various things and do what we can so that we can improve your strength. We would like you to think about who can participate in the next Kohaku Uta Gassen with the adults.

We want to have fun today, so please take care of us," said John.

Naoki Kishi, Representative Director

Naoki Kishi Representative
Naoki Kishi Representative

Today, since it is a kendo room, it is difficult for us to hear your voice. It is difficult to hear your voice during the competition if there is a lot of noise, so please be quiet.

There are two competitions. The first is the "Hand-to-Hand Uguisu Race" and the second is the "Trick Card Battle". Please take a look at the tournament table later.

The first "Tenose Uguisu Race" will be competed in a one-on-one format, with three pairs competing at a time.
In this race, the balls are placed on the edge/ken-tip of a small plate and moved. If a ball falls, stop at the spot and make sure it is placed on the plate before moving. It is not allowed to move the ball while it is still on the ground.

The next "Trick Card Battle" was a one-on-one competition.
After deciding who would go first and who would go last in the game, the players played Janken (rock-paper-scissors-scissors) to determine who would go first and who would go last.
The first person to clear a technique wins a card and gets points. The number of cards is the point, and the person with more cards wins.
If both players fail to perform a move, or if they succeed and the match is not won, the card becomes invalid and is removed.
The first player to score 5 card points wins.

If there are an equal number of cards and the game cannot be settled, the player tries that technique using the invalid card, and the first player to clear the game wins.

Three levels of trick card battles

Trick card battles have different techniques depending on skill level.

Sunflower Level (up to passing Basic Level 1)

  1. Vine Mochi - White Juice - Katate Chatchi
  2. Small to large to medium-sized plates
  3. Hand-held platter - Ken
  4. Tomeken (not rotated)
  5. baseball
  6. aeroplane
  7. retarded
  8. trapeze
  9. advance (in pay)
  10. Swallow-tail (platter)

Dragon Level (for those who have passed Advance Level 3)

  1. aeroplane
  2. circumnavigation of Japan
  3. the present age
  4. mother-in-law's right to take possession of a vessel (legal wife of a noble)
  5. down spike
  6. non-swinging (sword, bat, tennis, etc.)
  7. right-hand man
  8. circumnavigation
  9. Platter ~ Lifting Platter
  10. Hand Sequence ~Sakayoshi

Watermelon level (hot battle between adults and children)

Adults also participate in this high-level competition.

Hand-guided Uguisu race: Compete for speed by moving the ball on the rim.

hand-me-down nightingale race
hand-me-down nightingale race
Speed up!
Speed up!
Start concentrating!
Start concentrating!
Carefully and quickly to avoid falling off!
Carefully and quickly to avoid falling off!
A very difficult technique to stabilize the ride.
A very difficult technique to stabilize the ride.

Trick Card Battle: Draw cards and compete with your skills.

The students boldly challenged 10 different techniques!
The students boldly challenged 10 different techniques!
Compete in a one-on-one skill competition!
Compete in a one-on-one skill competition!
Nice clear!
Nice clear!
Serious and focused!
Serious and focused!
Adults vs. children!
Adults vs. children!
Yay!
Yay!
Stable and clear!
Stable and clear!
Yatta~!
Yatta~!
Kisuki, ganba!
Kisuki, ganba!
John, spot on!
John, spot on!
You did it, Takeru-kun!
You did it, Takeru-kun!

Award Ceremony and Medal Presentation

Winner in each group! Congratulations to the winners!
Winner in each group! Congratulations to the winners!
Medals in various events!
Medals in various events!

Winner of the Hand-Runner-Uguisu Race: Tamura Sota-kun

Tamura Sota, winner of the hand-held bush warbler race
Winner of the Hand-Runner-Uguisu Race: Tamura Sota-kun

Trick Card Battle: Sunflower Level

  • Winner :Itchy Takhata
  • Runner-up:Yuuki Murakami
  • 3rd :SATOH Shuuto
Winner: Itchy Takahata
Winner: Itchy Takahata
Runner-up: Yuki Murakami
Runner-up: Yuki Murakami
3rd : Shuto Sato
3rd : Shuto Sato

Trick Card Battle: Dragon Level

  • Winner :Naoki Komoto
  • Runner-up:OGAWA Tsuya-kun
  • 3rd :Tamura Sohta Kun
Winner: Naoki Komoto-kun
Winner: Naoki Komoto-kun
Runner-up: Natsuya Ogawa-kun
Runner-up: Natsuya Ogawa-kun
No. 3: Tamura Sota-kun
No. 3: Tamura Sota-kun

Trick Card Battle: Watermelon Level

  • Winner :Balloon
  • Runner-up:Kuni Yamada
Winner: Takeru-kun
Winner: Takeru-kun
Runner-up: GINJI YAMADA-kun
Runner-up: GINJI YAMADA-kun

Comment by Dr. Masateru Akamatsu JOHN

John's critique!
John's critique!

'Who had a good timeーー? (Mr. John)
'Hahaha!!!! (Everyone)
The adults are raising their hands, which makes me crazy happy.

We used to do the usual unicorn race and then battle to see who would succeed, but this was the third year we had started doing this. I was able to compete properly, doing card battles, being nervous, and deciding on the right technique.

What I and Kissey felt when we got on the plane and attended the event in Tokyo was the desire for adults and children to play together in the future.

This time, after all, "Takeru-kun" was amazing. I couldn't beat "takeru-kun". 49 years old and 6 years old fought, and 6 years old won!

I think this is a great model case, partly because of Takeru's greatness and partly because of his parents' enthusiasm and active participation in events and other activities. Everyone was very good, so there is a lot of potential for the future.

I am sure that Kicchi will come up with a lot of fun things to do this year, so I will practice hard and look forward to working with you again this year. Thank you very much."

Greetings from Naoki Kishi, Representative Director

Greetings from Representative Kishi!
Greetings from Representative Kishi!

Today, the adults did it with a lot of excitement.

Techniques fail, even adults fail. The inability of today's children to act with confidence is linked to their fear of failure.

Adults make a lot of mistakes, too. I hope that children will not be afraid of failure and will do their best in various things.

I don't think there will be any events in the future for the 6th graders, but there will be a Kendama Club, so I hope they will work hard in their daily activities and compete in the Kendama exam and with their friends.

We had adults who enjoyed coming today, as well as those who came from as far away as Asahikawa City and Mashike Town.

Lately, I have been very happy to hear here and there, "The Hokuryu Kendama Club is doing a great job!" I am very happy to hear people say, "The Hokuryu Kendama Club is doing very well! This may be due to the effect of the NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen that we participated in last year, but above all, it is spreading rapidly because everyone is sending out information about their efforts on social networking services such as Instagram.

There will be a Kendama event in Sapporo in early March. Famous people will be there, so I hope those who want to go and see them can go with me. We hope to invite such great people and hold various events in the future.

JHON Sensei will also be holding a live music performance event on Saturday, February 24. Last year, Ryu-kun participated in that event and won. Both adults and children are welcome to participate!

We'll end with a group photo of everyone!" said Representative Kishi.

With thanks for the fun Hokuryu Kendama Festival!
With thanks for the fun Hokuryu Kendama Festival!

commemorative photograph

Group photo, everyone smiling!
Group photo, everyone smiling!

With boundless love, gratitude, and prayers for the Hokuryu Kendama Festival, a sports game in which adults and children alike enjoy playing with vigor through the art of Kendama, refining their skills and improving their level of skill without fear of failure.

Wishing a bright future for the setting sun.
Wishing a bright future for the setting sun.

Youtube Video

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◇ Reporting and writing by Ikuko Terauchi (Photography and editorial assistance by Noboru Terauchi)

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