Pop Japan

Traditional Japanese toy Kendama has just gotten a trendy upgrade, giving a major boost to its already unwavering popularity.

Seeing an increase in its popularity over the past 15 years, the game has been included in countless national and international competitions including the World Cup.

Because of that, a Japanese software company developed a smart Kendama app, wherein its users can play the game over the internet, and battle it out with players around the world, in real-time. The dendama has sensors that recognizes player movements and connects to an app that allows them to battle other players anywhere or record their skill development in Quest Mode. 

The original kendama toy has three cups and a spike which fits into the hole in the ball, and is a variant of the classic cup-and-ball game and the Hispanic toy balero. The principle of these toys are simple—catching one object with another, where both are joined by a string. However, the modern kendama playing takes influences from a diverse range of skills including those of yo-yo's, juggling, and dance.

Tags: kendama, dendama, world cup, traditional japanese toy, japanese software company, kendama app, quest mode, skill development, cup and ball game, balero