The 7th Hokuryu Kendama Festival (Hokuryu Town, Hokkaido) Share the fun, overcome your frustrations, and give it your all!

Thursday, December 26, 2024

The 7th Hokuryu Kendama Festival, sponsored by the Hokuryu Kendama Club (Representative: Kishi Naoki), was held at the Hokuryu Town Community Center Large Hall from 2pm on Sunday, December 22nd.

The 7th Hokuryu Kendama Festival

It was an extremely cold day, with temperatures reaching a low of -20°C and a high of -7°C. 24 members of the Hokuryu Kendama Club participated with great enthusiasm, and had a great time playing Kendama.

The games include a "tube ken relay" for pairs, two "hand-held lighthouse" games in which four teams compete to see who can play the fastest, and a "bingo" game with luxurious prizes.

Opening remarks

Naoki Kishi Representative

"Today is the 7th Kendama Festival. Thank you all for coming to the festival in the bitterly cold below freezing temperatures. Thanks to all of you, the Hokuryu Kendama Club has been able to hold this event seven times. Thank you very much.

I hope you all have a fun and exciting time playing team games today. There are two types of events. The first is "Tube-type" and the second is "Hand-held Lighthouse". It's a simple game that anyone can play, and I hope you'll all have fun and try your best to win prizes based on your ranking.

"After the games, we will have a bingo tournament. Not everyone will win a prize, but we have prepared some great prizes, so please look forward to them. John-san is visiting us from Asahikawa again today," said Kishi.

Mr. Masateru Akamatsu JOHN (John)

"Hello everyone! Recently, colds, influenza, mycoplasma pneumonia, etc. have been going around. Please be careful. I recently suffered from pneumonia for about a month, so please be careful. Also, be careful not to get injured.

This is the seventh time, so everyone can have fun playing seven times. It's a game of "tube poker" and "lighthouse on hand" that anyone can play.

After the game, please feel free to come and talk to us about how to play Kendama or ask any questions you may have. We also sell Kendama, so please take a look.

"Christmas is coming up soon, so I hope we can all have fun together. Thank you very much," said John.

Kishi-kun said, "Today, Sato-san, a middle school student, is here to help us. Rina-chan will be helping us with various things such as recording," and everyone gave a round of applause to Sato-senpai!!!

Self-introduction time for each team

The competition involves groups of six people divided into four teams: Sunflower Team, Dragon Team, Melon Team, and Watermelon Team.

Game 1: Tsutsuken Relay

In this game, players form pairs, hold a ball between two cones, and take turns going around three cones in order to compete for speed without dropping the ball.

The entire team plans a strategy, including how to pair up and in what order to go around the three cones.

"Think about the difference in the inner and outer radius when going around the cones, and turn efficiently!" "You're starting to get the hang of it," "Be careful," "That's a solid play," "Good, good!" "Nice!" John's advice came one after the other, and everyone shouted out cheers of "Go for it!"!!!

Game 2: Handheld Lighthouse Game

A group of six people will challenge the hand-held lighthouses set up on each table at the same time! All six people will start at the same time, and the game will be competed for the number of seconds it takes to clear and reach the goal.

The six kendama placed on the tables each have their own unique characteristics; some are simple with a square ball, while others are more difficult and slippery. The key to winning is figuring out who will be in charge of which kendama.

"Don't rush, be careful," "Put it on slowly with both hands and make sure it's secure," "Do your best!" "It'll be fine!"

Overcoming disappointment by encouraging each other

During the game, the challenger tried to complete a difficult kendama, but was unable to complete it, and the time for the whole team was pushed back unexpectedly. The teammates were frustrated that they couldn't do it well, and cried, expressing their frustration with their whole bodies.

The whole team comforted their teammate by saying, "It's okay! You did your best! Let's make up the score with this last chance!" and cheered them on with all their might.

The team overcomes their frustration and takes on the next game with determination, creating a moving drama. It was a wonderful moment when the team sympathized with each other's frustration, overcame it, and became motivated to take on the next challenge!

Competition ranking announcement

1st:Watermelon team: 80 points
2nd place:Sunflower Team 60 points
3rd place:Dragon Team 60 points
4th:Melon Team 50 points

Since the Sunflower Team and the Dragon Team were tied, the final match will take place!
As a result, Himawari won second place! Congratulations!!!

bingo game

Seven winners of bingo will be presented with luxurious Kendama prizes.

Bingo Prizes

1. KODAMAN KENDAMA (1 piece)
2. MUGENMUSOU (2 bottles)
3. okendama (4 pieces)

"KODAMAN KENDAMA" autographed by Ken Kodama

The first prize is a "KODAMAN KENDAMA" signed by world-famous kendama artist and instructor, Ken Kodama.

• Message card (excerpt):
  "The more you spend time with kendama, the more it will become a part of your life and become a part of it. Don't compare yourself to others, don't try to beat others, and don't just focus on your skills. Find your own way of interacting with kendama, find your favorite way to play with it. Kendama will give you a variety of experiences. So believe in kendama and take more action. Your life will definitely change. "Kendama is the universe." Kendama has infinite possibilities. "Enjoy life with kendama" - these are the wonderful words of Kodama Ken written on the poster.
  　
• John:
  Mr. Kodama has come to our store in Asahikawa before. I think he came twice last year. It's hard to get a signed Kendama. I bought one directly from him, but it didn't have a signature.
  A signed Kendama is a very rare item. However, Kodama himself has written a message on the card asking the customer to use it as much as possible.
  I think the owner would be happy if you told him, "I used it until it got really scratched" instead of just displaying it.
  　
• Representative: Naoki Kishi
  The signature shown on "KODAMAN KENDAMA" is a kendama that we asked Mr. Kodama to sign for us, and he kindly agreed. The message on the plate reads, "DO IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT." If you are lucky enough to get your hands on this kendama, practice as hard as you can until you can complete it!

Those who lose will receive a mini Kendama and sticker from John, and a chocolate bar from CEO Naoki Kishi!

Closing Remarks

Naoki Kishi Representative

"This concludes my kendama activities for this year. Thank you all so much for playing with me this year.

John has come to many events, including the Sunflower Festival at Himawari no Sato, and we were able to finish it without any problems. Some of our seniors continue to come to help even after they become junior high school students. I think that our connections in the community have really expanded.

There will be a lot going on during the winter break, so please make sure you do not only Kendama but also your homework properly and prepare for the new semester. I think the Kendama Club will resume activities before the winter break is over. We hope to start activities as early as January 7th. I hope to see you all in good health then. Thank you so much for the past year."

Mr. Masateru Akamatsu JOHN (John)

"Thank you for your hard work. This year, I had the opportunity to talk about various things with all the kendama players (including adults). When we talked about what kendama is, Kikki and I both agreed that it's fine as long as it's fun. But you can't get hurt, because that will make you sad.

The good thing about it is that it's fun, and it was fun doing it today. We all laughed and cheered and said "That's great!" and it was fun.

And another thing, I think the feeling of "it's frustrating!" is also important. It's frustrating because things aren't going well! I want to beat that kid, I want to pass the exam.

If I could get rid of these feelings of frustration and fun, I would feel like I no longer needed to play Kendama.

"It's fun" plus "I want to compete, I want to get better, I want to reach the finish line quickly, I want to get that prize" - with the Olympics being held this year, I feel that these emotions are also important.

There are many different kinds of Kendama, but if you won one today, please have fun practicing. If you meet your grandparents during the New Year holidays, please show them how well you've mastered it. I think they will be very happy. During the winter holidays, it can be very snowy and cold, so I hope you will have fun practicing at home.

I'm sure Kissy will come up with many different plans next year as well, so stay tuned!

I think that this year, 2024, everyone at Hokuryu Kendama has worked incredibly hard. There are very few adults who participate together. I hope that in Asahikawa, adults and children can enjoy themselves together like this. I look forward to working with you again next year. Thank you very much."

An interview with Hokkaido Shimbun Bureau Chief Hidenori Mikawa and Kita Sorachi Shimbun Reporter Atsushi Shima

Winning team leader: Saya Fujii (Shinryu Elementary School, 6th grade)

"I'm happy to win. We all worked together to win. Especially in "Tsutsuken," everyone stayed calm and tried not to drop anything.

We all encouraged each other to do the hand-held lighthouse well, even if it was just slowly. It was a lot of fun.

I've improved a lot this year. I can now make plays that I couldn't make at first. I hope I can participate in such an event next year."

Naoki Kishi Representative

"We designed this event to be one that would allow children and adults to interact with each other. It's not so much about skills, it's an event that everyone can enjoy.

A total of 24 participants came from Hokuryu, Uryu, and Numata towns, and this festival was exclusive to members of the Hokuryu Kendama Club.

We had a great time again this year. It's good to have a place to socialize outside of school.

It was also good to see a child in tears of frustration bounce back and compete again thanks to the encouragement of his peers. It's good to be able to cry in frustration during a serious competition. I think it's good for children today to be able to experience becoming absorbed in something right in front of them, as this is an experience they don't often have."

Kendama can be enjoyed by everyone, both adults and children!
With boundless love, gratitude and prayers, I send my heartfelt thanks to the Hokuryu Kendama Club, where we share the joy, overcome disappointments, challenge ourselves to the fullest and enjoy life.

Youtube Video

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