Many of you may remember the sudden rise in popularity of a particular game-sport resembling a ball on a stick from almost a decade ago. That toy was none other than the skill toy, kendama. Back then, students in school eagerly challenged each other to see who could land the most tricks, and toy shops prominently displayed the Japanese toy in a range of vibrant colourways. However, as quickly as it took over the youth scene, the hype surrounding this game-sport dwindled, and eventually died down.
For those who haven't encountered it, kendama is basically a wooden skill toy made of a wooden stick (ken) with a spike (kensaki) at one end, three cups (small, medium and big) and a wooden ball (tama) strung to it. Although it is said that its origins are rooted in Japan, there are records indicating that kendama was actually inspired by the bilboquet (bil means ‘ball,’ and boquet means ‘small tree’) – a similar toy that originated in France in the sixteenth century. The bilboquet was then brought to Japan around the year 1777.
So, how does one play kendama? Basically, players toss the ball in the air and skillfully catch it in either one of the cups or spear it with the stick's point. This sounds easy but we promise you, the reality is quite far from it, as there are more than 30,000 different tricks for players to master. It is also enjoyed by people of all ages, and from all walks of life. Apart from the satisfaction players get from landing a trick, kendama is also said to be helpful in developing concentration and perseverance and is good for strengthening your knees.
Today, spotting a kendama has become a rare occurrence. Just when we thought this wooden ball sport had faded into Singapore's history, Cereal Kendama has emerged as the sole remaining kendama community, dedicated to keeping this game-sport alive right here on our sunny island. “We started Cereal Kendama in university and have been around for nine years,” says Jonathan Lee, 33, co-founder of Cereal Kendama. “The game blew up long ago, and then it died quickly for two reasons – first, mobile gaming got popular, and second because a lot of schools were banning it because teachers didn’t know what kendamas were. I mean, imagine a 13 year old boy with this,” he explains.
When asked what got him into the game-sport in the very beginning, he explains, “My best friend got a kendama from a friend and then he let me try it one day. I thought it was stupid at first, until I landed a trick. Then, I was like ok, this is not too bad, I should get one for myself too. This was in 2014.”
What started out as a hobby in university slowly turned into something bigger. “I was in year two of university at that point of time so most nights I'd go back to my dorm and play kendama to destress. Then, my best friend and I wondered if more people would be interested in playing it too. So, we bought ten kendamas and listed them on Carousell. Someone eventually enquired about what it was and I thought maybe we should give our group a proper name,” he explains.
One of our friends said kendama is just like breakfast – the most important meal of the day.
They eventually decided on the name Cereal Kendama. “One of our friends said kendama is just like breakfast – the most important meal of the day. We start the day with it, you know? It is naturally a part of your life,” he says.
We have our own shape and design, everything is our own.
From then on, their project evolved and they started manufacturing their own kendamas with their own designs, colourway and wood combinations. “It has been a long research and development journey, which I really enjoyed, to get to where we are today. Today, we have our own shape and design, everything is our own,” he says. “All our shapes are also named, and one of them was voted shape of the year. We also design our own bevels. There are a lot of minor details. The production is also very hands-on – a real person is cutting it into shape and hand painting it. All you have to do is give them a 2D drawing of your design and they can do a sample for you. After they register it, no one else can copy your shape,” he elaborates.
Today, kendama has become a competitive sport. There are several national-level kendama competitions held across Japan such as the Kendama World Cup – one which Jonathan has also participated in. “There are different kinds of competition formats. One format is a little bit more structured. It is like skateboarding; they will tell you to do different tricks and you just need to do them in order. Then there’s freestyle, where players do whatever tricks that come to mind and they judge you based on difficulty level, flow and how it looks overall,” he explains. They’ve also manufactured their very own kendama specially for such competitions. “We made one specially for the event. And what you do when you get there is that you put your kendama in a box and if it fits they will qualify you and give you a sticker. Every year the sticker is different,” he says.
We even went to Chiang Mai once just to find some random dude who cooks beef in the middle of nowhere.
Both owners of Cereal Kendama travel to many places to find like-minded kendama players. “We even went to Chiang Mai once just to find some random dude who cooks beef in the middle of nowhere. He plays kendama, so we meet him and he’ll bring us around,” he says.
Cereal Kendama was never seen as a business, it’s just a passion project that hopes to keep this community alive.
Cereal Kendama hopes to keep this community alive. “We knew all the people that started kendama brands years ago, but now we are the only ones left. Today, there are only 10 people in Singapore playing it actively. Perhaps there are others as well but they don’t actively progress, learn new tricks, and gather. Community is super important for a subculture like this. Cereal Kendama was never seen as a business, it’s just a passion project that hopes to keep this community alive,” he says.
For those interested in trying your hand at kendama, check out Cereal Kendama’s website here.
