Kendama Day

What Is Kendama Day?

Every May 14th is "Kendama Day" (けん玉の日, Kendama no Hi) in Japan. It was established in 2017 by the Global Kendama Network (GLOKEN), a general incorporated association that promotes kendama internationally. The date comes from May 14, 1919 (Taishō 8), when the "Nichigetsu Ball" (日月ボール) — invented by Hamaji Egusa of Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, and regarded as the prototype of the modern kendama — was registered as a utility model. Kendama (けん玉, literally "sword and ball") is a traditional Japanese skill toy consisting of a wooden handle (ken) with a spike and cups, attached by a string to a ball (tama) with a hole. The player performs tricks by catching the ball on the cups or spike in various combinations.

The History of Kendama

Cup-and-ball toys have a long history in Europe — the French "bilboquet" is a well-known example. The modern Japanese form, with its cross-shaped handle and two side cups, began with Egusa's Nichigetsu Ball in the Taishō era. Egusa asked woodworkers in Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima — a town known for wood-turning — to manufacture it, and Hatsukaichi is now called "the birthplace of kendama." In 1975, the Japan Kendama Association was founded by children's author Issei Fujiwara, and it standardized a competition kendama and a grading system for tricks.

The Global Kendama Revival

Kendama experienced a global revival beginning in the 2000s-2010s. The internet and social media enabled players worldwide to share trick videos, building an international community that pushed the boundaries of what was possible with the toy. On the day Kendama Day was established — May 14, 2017 — an event in Kameido, Tokyo set a Guinness World Record for the "longest line of people catching a kendama ball consecutively" with 123 participants.

Kendama as a Japanese Cultural Export

Kendama has become one of Japan's most successful toys-as-cultural-exports, with kendama brands serving enthusiasts in the United States, Europe, Australia, and beyond. The Kendama World Cup is held in Hatsukaichi, and the Global Kendama Network also runs a kendama certification test (けん玉検定).

Fun Facts

• Trick names: Kendama tricks have colorful names such as "tome-ken," "hikōki" (airplane), and "tōdai" (lighthouse).
• Viral popularity: Kendama trick videos filmed at skate parks, on mountain tops, and in cities regularly attract large audiences on YouTube and Instagram, introducing the toy to people with no prior knowledge of its Japanese heritage.