KONNICHIWA,

The Years 3-6 students enjoyed their reflex skills at playing KENDAMA.

A kendama is made up of the ken (stick) with a point at one end, three cups, and the tama (ball) with a small hole in one end. The cups on either side of the sarado (cross piece/cup body) are called the ozara (big cup) and kozara (small cup). The ball is connected to the stick by a roughly 40-centimetre (16-inch) piece of string. The pointed end of the stick is the kensaki (spike) with which the player can attempt to spear the ball. On the reverse side is another cup called the chuzara (medium cup). The round hole in the ball is just the right size for the spike.

The game is basically played by tossing the ball and attempting to catch it in one of the cups or to spear it with the point of the stick. Although it may sound simple, there are a nearly unlimited number of specific tricks for doing so.