Moshikame is the act of moving the ball from the big cup to the middle cup repeatedly. That the name comes from a Japanese children’s song that is sung as the kendama keeps the beat.
In English it translates to:
Hey there Tortoise, dumb Tortoise.
There’s no one else like you in the world,
You are so slow when you walk.
How come you can’t walk faster?
Do you really mean it, Hare?
Shall we have a race together,
Up the hill over there?
Which of us will get there first?
No matter how hard he runs,
He won’t get there before dark.
I’ll have a little nap for a moment here.
(snoring sound)
Oh no! I’ve slept too long!
Hop hop hop hop hop hop
You’ve reached the hill far too late
You shouldn’t be so proud!
(via ratmicesf)
Kendama Anatomy
- Ball (tama)
- Hole (ana)
- String (ito)
- Stick (ken)
-sometimes referred to as the handle - Spike (ken-saki)
-sometimes called the point - Cup Body (sara-do)
-sometimes called the torso - Small Cup (kozara)
- Big Cup (ozara)
- Middle Cup (chu-zara)
-also called the center cup or base cup
Why do you kendama?
Why did you start playing kendama? Who did you learn from? What keeps you playing?
(Source: kendamaspot.com)
What if the difference between kendama A and kendama B?
For the most part, each kendama with the JKA seal on it will play very similarly, but there are a few unique characteristics to each of the brands.
The kendamas from left to right are the Shin Sakura (white wood), the Mugen (yellow), the Oozora (green), the Shin Fuji (black), the TK 16 Master (natural wood) and the TK Junior. The first two are no longer in production while last four are in production. All comparisons are based on these samples but are representative of the brands over all.
Materials & Manufacturing
The TK 16 Master is made of birch. The kendama is produced in China, and the wood is harvested in China as well. The rest of the kendamas are (or were) produced in Japan. The Oozora and Shin Fuji are both made of 2 different materials. The handle and cup body is made of beech while the ball is made of cherry.
Overall Size
All of the kendamas are very close in size, except for the TK junior. It is an smaller kendama that is a new class of kendama targeted at younger players.
Cup Characteristics
The cups of all of the kendamas are the same diameter because it is dictated by the JKA to get a seal. The cups do vary a bit in depth. The Mugen cups are the shallowest, followed by the TK 16 Master, the Shin Sakura, the TK Jr, the Shin Fuji and finally the Oozora. The deeper ones seem to go to more of a point at the bottom. The rim of the large cup is very flat on the Mugen and almost non existent on the Shin Fuji. The cups of the TK junior are the same size as the larger kendama.
The Tips
The tips of each of the kendamas is very different between the brands. The Oozora tip is very pointed and almost sharp while Shin Sakura, both TK types, and Mugen are conical but rounded a bit at the very tip. The Shin Fuji on the other hand is not conical but rounded nearly round.
The Ball
The balls are nearly identical in size, except for the TK Jr. It is much easier to catch the ball in the cups with the TK Junior since the cups remain the same size as the rest of the kendamas but the ball is smaller. One of the places the kendamas differ the most is in the finish of the ball. The unfinished TK 16 Master and Fuji are both very similar. They are sanded very smooth and have a bit of a shine. The paint on the Shin Fuji is a bit dulled and is not as smooth as the other kendamas. The Oozora finish is a bit tacky while being semi glossy. The TK’s all have a nice glossy finished on the painted colors. The Mugen finishes, however are incredible. They are amazingly shiny and extremely smooth. Finally there is the hole in the ball. All of them have a tapered bit before going straight to accommodate the point. The taper of the Mugen seems to be a bit deeper than the others. Most of the tapers are a bit rough but the Mugen one is clearly sanded but it is hard to tell if the others are.
Mugen has various meanings in Japanese, including infinity and fantasy, but the particular kanji characters used by Iwata Mokko for their brand are not used in any standard word, and can be roughly translated as “source of dreams.”
(Source: buykendama.com)
Différentes Marques
Voici les differentes marques et leurs sceaux officiels :
- Violet: Shin Sakura (Plus disponible,Extrêmement rare)
- Turquoise: Mugen (Plus fabriqué depuis 2008, très rare, parfois disponible en enchères au Japon, pour des centaines de Francs)
- Noir: Shin Fuji; Kendama, de bonne qualité et léger, très bien pour débuter, ils ont récemment repris la production.
- Jaune: Ozora; Le meilleur kendama actuellement sur le marché, avec le plus grand choix de couleurs et une qualité irréprochable.
- Vert: TK-16: Un bon kendama validé par la JKA et fabriqué en Chine.
- Jaune#2: Ozora : “Produit Recommandé JKA” est le sceaux que portes certains Kendama un peu spéciaux fabriqué par Yamagata Koubou, créateurs de Ozora.
One off Kendama “again” this one is name Violet Explosion.
don’t be scare to see the ball in action, ha.
(via kengarden)
