Condolences for the Okada Family

Please keep Monica Okada Guzman and her family in your prayers for the loss of her mother, "Tan Rita" Diaz Cruz Okada, who passed away May 23, 2014.

The 55th Convention of Nikkei and Japanese Abroad - OCTOBER 22-24, 2014 - TOKYO, JAPAN

The 55th Convention of Nikkei and Japanese Abroad will be held October 22nd-24th, 2014 in Tokyo, Japan.  The objective in holding the convention is to furnish opportunities for the Japanese descendants all over the world to provide information about their countries and to discuss among themselves ways of further strengthening ties of brotherhood and solidarity while keeping in mind the significance of cultural and personal exchanges as the main theme. It is cordially requested that as many Nikkeis and Japanese Abroad as possible will attend this convention. 

· Program(PDF) (Coming soon) 
· Detailed Plan (Coming soon)
· How to Entry (Coming soon) 
· Application Form (Coming soon) 　　　　

For inquiries; taikai*jadesas.or.jp 045-211-1780 

•        CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT NIKKEI & JAPANESE ABROAD

·         Publications

·         Who are "Nikkei & Japanese Abroad"?

·         Convention of Nikkei & Japanese Abroad

·         Experience! Japanese-Society

·         Exchange Program

·         Studies in Japan

·         Education of Japanese Language

·         Service of Consultant and Information(SAITRAN)

·         Financial Support "Kusanone Shien"

·         International Nikkei Network

Issei Monument Renderings

Approved site for the Issei Patriarch Monument at the South Pacific Memorial Park in Yigo

REMINDER: GNA May 8, 2014 Meeting

GNA General Membership Meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m., Thursday, May 8, 2014 at the Tamuning Community Senior Citizen Center.

Click here to view the May 8, 2014 Agenda.

Kendama

History

A kendama approved for use in competition by the Japan Kendama Association

The kendama today are made from a stick with a point at one end, three attached cups, and a ball with a small hole in one end. The cups on either side of the stick are called the big cup and small cup. The ball is connected to the stick by a roughly 40-centimeter (16-inch) piece of string. At the end of the stick is a point with which the player can attempt to spear the ball. At the other end of the stick is a cup called the medium cup.

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 techniques for doing so.

A recreation of a bilboquet based on historical documents, and a Nichigetsu ball (photo provided by Maruishi Teruki, a member of the board of directors of the Japan Kendama Association)

Many people may think that kendama was invented in Japan, but this is not actually the case. While many different theories exist, there are records indicating that kendama originated in France in the sixteenth century. There are also theories that this game was developed in Greece or China, and the absolute truth is not known.

In France, this game was called bilboquet. Bilmeans "ball," and boquet means "small tree." This word expresses the fact that the game involved playing with a small wooden ball. The game as it was played then was different from what we know as kendama today; there was a large cup and a small cup on either end of a stick, to which a ball was attached with a string. The player would continually toss and catch the ball, alternating between the two cups.

Kendama is believed to have come to Japan via the Silk Road during the Edo period (1603-1868) into Nagasaki, the only Japanese city open to foreign trade at the time. While it may have entered the country around the middle of the Edo period in around 1777 or 1778, the exact date is uncertain. At the time, kendamawas apparently enjoyed by adults as a sort of drinking game. A player who made a mistake was forced to drink more.

As Japan entered the Meiji era (1868-1912), the Ministry of Education introduced kendamain the report on children's education that it put together in 1876, and the game gradually began to catch on among young people. In 1919, during the Taisho era (1912-1926), the forerunner of today's kendama went on sale. It was called Nichigetsu Ball (Sun-and-moon ball), because the ball looked like the sun, while the shape of the shallow carved cups was like a crescent moon. This toy became a huge hit, and from this time into the beginning of the Showa era (1926-1989), a variety of different types of kendama appeared, including a ball attached to a kind of paddle.

After World War II ended in 1945, kendama were sold in candy stores along with other popular toys, such as menko, bidama, and beigoma. In 1975 children's author Fujiwara Issei founded the Japan Kendama Association, which standardized kendama for competitive use and created standardized rules for the purpose of allowing a greater number of people to play the game together the same way.

The Fifteenth Cup of the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, which was held in August 2003 (photo provided by the Japan Kendama Association)

With a set of rules and specifications for the equipment in place, kendamabegan to grow in popularity as a competitive sport. In addition to the Award of the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, which is given to the winner of a kendama competition for elementary school students, there are tournaments for both students and adults held around the country, andkendama enthusiasts are working to increase the popularity of the game overseas.

The Japan Kendama Association is hopeful that kendama will become known around the world one day, and its members are making efforts to foster international exchange.

Source:  http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/virtual/kendama/kendama02.html

JAPANESE AMERICAN STUDENT INVITATION

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE JAPANESE AMERICAN STUDENT PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION FORM

REMINDER: GNA April 10, 2014 Meeting

GNA General Membership Meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m., Thursday, April 10, 2014 at the Tamuning Community Senior Citizen Center.

Click here to view the April 10, 2014 Agenda.