Kendama
The is a traditional Japanese skill toy. It consists of a handle (ken), a pair of cups (sarado), and a ball (tama) that are all connected together by a string. On one end of the ken is a cup, while the other end of ken is narrowed down, forming a spike (kensaki) that fits into the hole (ana) of the tama. The kendama is the Japanese version of the classic cup-and-ball game, and is also a variant of the French cup-and-ball game bilboquet. Kendama can be held in different grips, and many tricks and combinations can be performed. The game is played by tossing the ball into the air and attempting to catch it on the stick point. The origins of kendama are disputed, but it is generally believed to have originated during the 17th or 18th century. Kendama started to evolve when it came to Japan during the Edo period, and since then the use of the toy has spread throughout the world. The size and materials used to create kendamas now vary as they are offered in jumbo and mini sizes, and have been created out of plastic, metal, and nylon. There are now kendama competitions held in countries all over the world, the biggest competition being the annual Kendama World Cup in Japan. Terminology and structure The kendama is traditionally made out of wood and comprises the following parts: Main body . Spike . Big cup . Base cup . Small cup . Ball . Hole . String . Cup body . Small cup edge . Big cup for lunars . Slip-stop or slip grip . Back end . String attachment hole . Stringing a Kendama "Stringing" a kendama is the action of connecting all three pieces of the kendama (ken, sarado, and tama) together. A bead (or mini bearing) and a piece of string are required to string a kendama. The steps to string a kendama are as follows: Take one end of the string and put it through the little hole in the tama until the string is coming through the big hole (ana). Put the bead on the end of the string coming out of the ana and tie a knot to lock the bead in. Put the untied end of the string through one of the two holes in the sarado. (Note: For a right-handed kendama, hold the sarado up so that the big cup is on the right side and put the string through the hole that is facing self. For a left-handed kendama, make sure the big cup is on the left side and put the string through the hole facing self). Lead the string through the hole in the ken. Tie a knot at that end of the string so the string doesn't slip through the ken piece. Put the sarado down on top of the ken. A video of this process can be found here Grips A kendama can be held in numerous types of grips. Choosing the type