1. Why Did Online Hosting Bring Record Participation to the Kendama World Cup?
The Kendama World Cup has been held every year since 2014 in Hatsukaichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture.[1] Usually, players gather at a venue, but the 8th tournament in 2021 was online. This time, 702 people participated from 13 countries and regions, which was the highest number ever (639 from Japan and 63 from overseas).[2] The ability to compete without traveling to a venue may have contributed to this large number.[2]
A player from Okinawa noted that with remote hosting, beginners and advanced players could compete on equal footing. This player was ranked 85th out of the 702 participants.[3] The world champion in this tournament was Yasuhito Chiba, a sixth-grader from Funabashi City, Chiba Prefecture. He is said to be the youngest world champion ever and scored 2,131 points, which was the highest score at that time.[2] So, why is such a tournament held in Hatsukaichi?
2. Why Is the Kendama World Cup Held in Hatsukaichi?
The shape of the modern kendama is said to be based on the "Nichigetsu Ball" invented by Hamaji Egusa in Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture.[6] A utility model was registered for it on May 14, 1919 (Taisho 8). Because of this date, May 14 is now known as "Kendama Day".[6]
Two years later, in 1921 (Taisho 10), a woodworking manufacturer in Hatsukaichi that made small furniture items began producing the "Nichigetsu Ball" by incorporating a dish into previous kendama designs.[1] Kendama itself is said to have appeared in Japan during the mid-Edo period.[1]
Woodworking artisans in Hatsukaichi started making wooden toys for pilgrims and tourists. According to a database from the Tourism Agency of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, production peaked in the 1970s. At that time, they made 400,000 kendama per year, accounting for 70% of Japan's total production.[4]
Today, companies still use woodworking lathe technology to make high-precision kendama. JETRO reports that one such company makes kendama with a precision of 1/10th of a millimeter and has hosted the World Cup every year since 2014.[5] The town's manufacturing tradition is linked to the tournament. So, what do competitors actually compete in?
3. How Does the Final Round Work with 10 Tricks in Order?
Players who advance to the finals submit their chosen tricks and their order in advance. On the day of the competition, they attempt these 10 tricks one by one in that specific order, and judges evaluate them. The time limit is 3 minutes.[8] This procedure is described in the guidelines for a tournament held in Handa City, Aichi Prefecture, in 2023, which used rules similar to the World Cup.[8]
Tricks have levels, and the level of a successful trick becomes the score (level number equals points). If a Level 1 trick is completed, it earns 1 point; if a Level 3 trick is completed, it earns 3 points.[8] Players must decide whether to line up their favorite tricks or place difficult ones first. The strategy of the player appears in how they choose this order.
However, these are guidelines for a tournament that replicated the World Cup rules. You must check official announcements for the latest rules of the actual World Cup. It is not clear from the sources referenced here whether these guidelines and the scoring method of the 2021 tournament were identical. Therefore, do not compare figures like "30 points" with the score of 2,131.[8]
4. How Did the Tournament Spread Worldwide with Spectators, Guinness Records, and Street Sports?
The 4th tournament reportedly gathered about 400 players from domestic and international locations, along with about 50,000 spectators.[7] Players came from the United States, Europe, and Asia. It is said that skills of overseas players sometimes surpass those of Japanese players.[7] Note that the 50,000 figure refers to spectators, not players.
In the 2023 tournament, there was a Guinness World Record challenge. Yamato Okawa, a third-year junior high school student, recorded 57 successful "airplane" tricks in one minute and was certified by Guinness World Records.[9]
A background to this expansion is that kendama is gaining attention as a street sport worldwide. Freestyle kendama, where players freely combine their own invented tricks, is spreading and can also enable exchange across language barriers.[10]
The organizers also have a desire to connect the world. Yasushi Kubota, the representative director of GLOKEN (the organizing body), set a world record for continuous mokkame time (8 hours) in 2003. He established the corporation in 2012 and continues activities to connect the world through kendama.[11]
5. How Can You Try the Tournament Format Yourself?
If you have a kendama, you can imitate the finals. Choose 10 tricks you can do, decide their order, and count how many you succeed in within 3 minutes.[8] You can also test how the results change depending on whether you place easy tricks first or aim for difficult ones.
Safety note: Play in a wide space with no people or objects around, and keep the ball from hitting people or objects.[8]
Information about the tournament is summarized on Hiroshima Prefecture's "Hiroshima Lab" and the Tourism Agency's multilingual commentary database. The 2021 online round can also be read on Funabashi City's introduction page.[2] This article does not cover participants or results from the most recent tournaments. Please check official announcements for current information.