Shopping Guide
, and an open hole for the ball (tama). Stabbing the ball with the pointy bit of the sword and getting the ball in the hole - it’s difficult, but that’s why it’s so much fun.)
Have you heard of a toy called kendama? A kendama is a toy made up of a cross-shaped sword (ken), and an open hole for the ball (tama). Stabbing the ball with the pointy bit of the sword and getting the ball in the hole - it’s difficult, but that’s why it’s so much fun.
Now kendama is becoming popular outside of Japan too. Around 2010, kendama seems to have caught on with street kids in America. Young people in their teens and 20s came back from Japan with kendama and started to upload videos of themselves perfecting various kendama techniques set to music. Also, from around 2013 the kendama style that had become popular abroad began to be imported back into Japan, especially in the trend-sensitive Harajuku, and kendama is really booming inside Japan too as a fresh game.
As kendama has become such a popular sport, it’s been decided that the “Catch & Flow 2015” world championships will be held in Japan on Sept. 11! Top players from all over the world will be gathering at this large-scale event. The competition will be carried out as a one-on-one tournament. There will be performance battles to see whose technique is the best within the two 45-second matches. The demonstration of skill, the degree of ease or difficulty, degree of completion, and ingenuity will all be assessed for a comprehensive evaluation. The three judges will decide the outcome by turning the points system into a numerical score.
Those of you out there interested in kendama - if you have the opportunity how about watching some “Catch & Flow”?
