Early in December, Hawaii News Now aired a story on the latest craze in Hawaii.   There is a high demand for the traditional Japanese “Kendama” toy.  A simple toy which consists of two wooden cups of different sizes placed on the center of a wooden spike, with a smaller cup at the spike’s base and a ball connected by a string to the center piece.  The objective of the game is to catch the ball on a cup or the spike.   And despite the recent release of big name entertainment systems such as the Xbox one & Playstation 4, it is the affordable kendama that has everyone talking.

    According to the report, the kendama has been sold at Pearlridge Mall for over 5 years now, but hasn’t been nearly this popular before.  Kendamas can range from a couple bucks to hundreds of dollars, testimony that it is taken very seriously by many.  Professional kendama players actually compete in worldwide competitions.  Some making more than $50,000 dollars a year. But for most, a simple $12 kendama ordered off of Amazon.com is enough to keep them entertained.

      Although the kendama  hasn’t been as popular in the halls of Kohala High as it has been in Oahu,  it’s made enough noise to catch the eyes of those in the KHS publications class.  With Christmas around the corner it’s no surprise that kendamas are being cleared off of shelves at such a rapid rate.  Could the kendama be the next big craze to hit Kohala?

You can read more about the latest craze that has swept Hawaii @ kendamausa.com.