The 1st Hokuryu Kendama Festival 2021 is full of energy and fun, with everyone's smiles and laughter ringing out.

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.

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.

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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."

Hokuryu Kendama Club Instagram

We are a Kendama club active in Hokuryu Town, Hokkaido. We meet every Tuesday from 6pm to 7pm in the large hall on the second floor of the community center.
▶ 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）。

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"

Japan Kendama Association (Public Interest Incorporated Association)

Global Kendama Network General Incorporated Association

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.

Fujiken Kendama Christmas 2021

This is a challenge project where participants will be required to complete a designated skill every day between December 1st (Wed) and December 25th (Sat) and post the video of their performance on Instagram.　▶ Click here for details >>

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.

Tsutsuken Homepage

"Tsutsuken" is a tool that makes playing Kendama easier and allows you to enjoy playing Kendama while recreating the movements of a Kendama. Because of its simple design, the possibilities for its use are endless depending on your imagination.　▶ Click here for details >>

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.

asahidama Asahidama Hokkaido Asahikawa Kendama Club Activities/Instagram

From the northern city of Asahikawa, Hokkaido, we aim to revitalize and restore the local area through Kendama, and from there we will connect to the world.
▶ 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.

ROOTS "ASAHIDAMA Asahikawa Kendama Club Activities"

Kendama Life Store has opened in the center of Asahikawa, Hokkaido. Opened by John Masateru Akamatsu, it is the first store in Hokkaido to sell kendama and apparel.
▶ 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

Seisa International High School Asahikawa Campus

This school places emphasis on interactions with others, developing social skills, becoming independent, and choosing a purposeful career path to become an immediately productive member of society.　▶ Click here for details >>

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

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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.

1. Level 1:Large and small plates, 10 rounds of Moshikame, baseball, (spinning) Tomeken
2. Level 2:Hand-held platter - Ken, Moshikame 15 times, Tomeken, Trapeze
3. 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!

Other photos

Photos (164 photos) from the 1st Hokuryu Kendama Festival 2021 are here >>
　
◇ Photography and editing: Noboru Terauchi Interview and text: Ikuko Terauchi