The classic game of kendama — the old-school toy that turns a wooden stick and ball into a test of skill and coordination — is making a comeback.
Kendama started as a game in France known as bilboquet before it made its way to Japan along the Silk Road. There, it became a drinking game, and centuries later a Japanese inventor added multiple cups to the sides and handle, creating the sport that’s going viral in the island today.
Kendama USA sees the game as a great way to teach skills like collaboration, focus and perseverance. Matt "Sweets" Jorgenson, owner of Sweets Kendama, aimed to do exactly that by hosting Hawaiʻi’s first Aloha Kendama Tournament at Ka Makana Aliʻi in Kapolei.
Brad Ishii, owner of Thinker Toys, helped facilitate the event.
"It's been great to watch the kids, you know, just their expressions as they play, and it's really nice to have them together instead of out on their phones doomscrolling," Ishii said.
“A kendama can go anywhere. It can be in your backpack, so anytime you're bored, you have something to do,” Jorgensen said. “And I think the kids love it for the same reason.”
“Not only that, it teaches the kids perseverance and focus,” Ishii told HPR. “Even though you fail, you know, you got to keep trying.”
The event drew professional kendama players, like Joshua Grove, who enjoys the classic game for the competition and community it creates.
“It's bringing kids together and giving kids a place to belong,” Grove said.
“They're playing and they're getting off of their phones and their iPads and their video games and they're playing with this analog game from Japan. They're challenging each other. They're learning from each other. They're learning how to teach and spread joy.”
Other attendees included heads of the Hawaiʻi Kendama Club and amateur kendama fans who joined just for the love of the game.
This story aired on The Conversation on Aug. 5, 2026. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. Jinwook Lee adapted this story for the web.
