Hokuryu Kendama Club 3rd Anniversary Tournament 2024 - Adults and children alike will play with fervor!

Thursday, September 26, 2024

On Tuesday, September 24th, from 6pm, the Hokuryu Kendama Club (Representative: Naoki Kishi) hosted the "Hokuryu Kendama Club 3rd Anniversary Tournament" in the large hall on the second floor of the Hokuryu Town Community Center.

Nineteen children (and one adult) from Hokuryu, Uryu, and Numata towns enthusiastically participated in the fun-based events and trick battles. Their families also participated to watch and help out with the event.

Competition

1. Takoyaki Championship
2. Trick Battle
   - Competition is divided into two levels: "Sunflower Level" and "Dragon Level"
3. Drop-stone Showdown

9 medals & Kendama prizes

Nine medals and a Kendama will be awarded to the winners of each event.

9 medals

Prize Kendama

Otoshiken Showdown: Special Prize SOMA Pro Model Kendama

As a special prize, a SOMA Pro Model Kendama will be presented!!!

Greetings from Akamatsu JOHN Masateru (John)

"Good evening everyone! It's already been three years! I've been shown the kendama that everyone has practiced for three years, and they're already in tatters, so I really feel how much they've practiced!

They take the test almost every week, and every time I see a video on Instagram saying "I passed!", I realize how hard everyone, including their parents, has worked.

Recently, I posted a video of me DJing on artificial turf in the city of Asahikawa. I hope you'll join in too.

Today, let's all win 9 medals and a Kendama and take them home!
The last special prize was a precious kendama that even Kissy praised highly!
"Please play hard and take it home so that your parents can take pictures! Thank you very much!" said John.

Greetings from Ryo Kato

"Today is a really valuable experience, so do your best, everyone!" said Kato Ryo.

Competition start

1. Takoyaki Championship

• There are three kendama on the table, and you can stand them up by inserting the tip of the kendama into the hole.
• Compete to complete all three Kendama stands in the shortest time
• When moving the ball, you must use only your right hand, which controls the Kendama; using your left hand is prohibited.

Let's all cheer on the players!

Stay calm and polite!

In sync with the movement of the Kendama...

Yay!!!

Gamba!!!

A kind senior comforts and hugs a junior who couldn't perform a technique well!

2. Trick Battle

rule

• Perform tricks in order from event ① to ⑤
• If you succeed on the first try, move on to the next trick (in this case, the number of tries is marked as 1).
• If you succeed in two tries, move on to the next trick (in this case, the number of tries is written as 2).
• If you succeed in three tries, move on to the next trick (in this case, the number of tries is written as 3).
• If you succeed in four tries, move on to the next trick (in this case, the number of tries is written as 4).
• After five tries, add up the numbers written on the board and the fewer the total, the better.

Sunflower Level (5 Tricks)

1. Large hand-held plate ~ Ken
2. Hanging ~ One-handed catch ~ Small plate ~ Large plate
3. Stop ~ Bring it back (it's OK to turn it around)
4. Baseball ~ Mokame 5th inning
5. Large Plate ~ Large Plate Hop ~ Swallow Return

Dragon Level (5 Tricks)

1. Furiken ~ Bring it back ~ Haneken
2. Airplane ~ Bring it back ~ Earth rotation
3. Lighthouse - Upside Down
4. Flying Trapeze ~ Moshikame 3 times or more ~ Ken
5. Around Japan ~ Around the world

Compete in pairs!

Nice hit!

calm down!

Stay focused!

3. The Falling Sword Showdown

• The listener holds the ken with the other hand and holds the ball up in the other hand, stretching the string, and then dropping the ball from above, piercing the hole in the ball with the tip of the ken.
• After 10 tries, the first one to catch it wins!
• Adults and children work in pairs!

Yay!

Yes!

Cleared at the same time!!!

Award Ceremony

Takoyaki Battle

• Victory:Shuuto Sato Time: 14'46"’
• 2nd place:Sato Yume Time 14'89"’
• 3rd place:Ogawa Natsuya Time 18:05’
• 4th place:Seiya Fujii Time: 18'66"’
• 5th place:Takegahara Kiko Time: 22'48"’

Winner: Shuuto Sato

2nd place: Sato Yume

3rd place: Ogawa Natsuya

Trick Battle: Sunflower Level

1st place: Saki Kato

2nd place: Fujii Sakuya

3rd place: Sakura Tanimoto

Trick Battle: Dragon Level

1st place: Naoki Komoto

2nd place: Komoto Haruki

3rd place: Seiya Fujii

3. The Falling Sword Showdown

Special Prize SOMA Pro Model KROM Soma Fujita Pro model kendama

This is the first professional model for Soma Fujita, a player on the KROM pro team!

The leather-processed design features a wisteria flower motif and Mount Yotei in Hokkaido. The material is birch, so it's lightweight!

Comes with a bag decorated with wisteria flowers

Winner (Special Award): Komoto Haruki

Greetings from Representative Naoki Kishiyo

"Thank you to everyone who participated, both adults and children. Everyone had different eye colors and competed seriously.

The Hokuryu Kendama Club that I am currently running aims to be a place where both children and adults can interact with each other, so I hope that you will continue to participate when there are mini-games available.

We are also planning an event in December, so adults are welcome to participate as well.

Finally, we have prepared some sweets as participation prizes, so please take some home with you!"

Greetings from Masateru Akamatsu (John)

"Thank you everyone for your hard work!
As Kissy always says, with Kendama, it doesn't matter whether you can do it or not, as long as it's fun, that's all that matters!

The people who received the medals were happy, and it's the first time that adults have ever been so serious about something, so this is great! Kishi and I always say that this is fine.

I believe it's better to feel the joy of being able to do something than to feel that it's difficult, so I hope to see you again!

Finally, to celebrate our 3rd anniversary, I'd like to give you two ASAHIDAMA original T-shirts as a gift.

Everyone smiles for a commemorative photo!

Finish by receiving a gift of sweets!

The award winners respond to an interview by Mr. Hidenori Ugawa, head of the Hokkaido Shimbun Fukagawa branch.

• I've been playing Kendama since the beginning and it's so much fun!
• It's fun to see the people around me happy when I complete a kendama trick.
• I was happy and enjoyed it when I was able to do the round-the-world trick.
• I also play volleyball, and the knee movements used in Kendama are connected to the movements used in volleyball, and there are common muscle uses, so I think that it is useful. It also improves concentration.
• Increased cooperation with colleagues
• I thought the Takoyaki Battle was great because it's not a competition of skill, but something that everyone can enjoy, even small children.
• I practice at home for about 2-3 hours a day. When I go out, I always carry it with me and practice.
• It's fun to have something to get absorbed in!

With boundless love, gratitude, and prayers, we send our heartfelt thanks to the Hokuryu Kendama Club, where adults and children alike play with complete fervor, exercising their bodies and minds with smiles on their faces.

YouTube videos

Other photos

Photos (160 photos) from the Hokuryu Kendama Club 3rd Anniversary Tournament 2024 are here >>

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