What is a Kendama? Kendamanomics goes viral across on TikTok

Many people scrolling through TikTok have seen dozens of videos talking about Kendama players trying to become the best tricksters in the world. Here’s everything we know.

A kendama is a traditional Japanese skill toy made of wood, consisting of a handle called the ken, a ball known as the tama, and a string that connects the two. The ken has three cups of varying sizes and a spike at the top, allowing players to catch and balance the ball in different ways. The tama has a hole that can fit onto the spike, which is one of the main tricks.

The toy is often compared to a mix of cup-and-ball games and yo-yos, as it combines catching, balancing, and flow-based movement. Kendama has roots in 17th-century Japan but has since grown into a global pastime, with competitions, professional players, and specialized designs. Its modern popularity comes from both casual play and the skill-based trick culture that surrounds it.

What is Kendamanomics?

“Kendamanomics” is a kendama-focused app and community platform designed to help players learn tricks, track progress, compete, and grow their skills. The app has levels of difficulty, over 100 tricks in its library, and users can upload videos of themselves doing tricks which are judged or approved by admins.

Besides trick progression, Kendamanomics features leaderboards so players can see how they rank against others. It also offers other features like tutorial content, a beginner trick list, and a shop for accessories such as “Fundamental Tama” models.

Kendamanomics takes over TikTok

The app’s leaderboard took over TikTok in September, with some of the top players uploading videos showing off their tricks.

Casey Henson, who goes by the name Juggle_Guy on TikTok, was among the first to go viral with Kendama trick videos on the app. In early September, he posted that he was once the number one player in the world, but quickly recovered his title as he reached the top of the app’s leaderboard again just three days later.

Fast forward a couple of weeks, and another player appeared – David Cherwak – as he announced his goal to become the number one player as well. He was a fair bit behind Henson, however, so it took him a few days to get to the top five players in the world.

On Monday, September 15, David shared that he finally made his way to the third spot on the leaderboard… right behind Henson and another player, Mateusz Rudny.

Viewers were excited to find David’s second “POV,” but even more excited to find out that Rudny had joined the app as well. He has only posted two videos so far, but both of them are about his goal to take Casey Henson’s top spot away from him again.

The rivalry between the top three players has influenced a dozen other people to start posting videos about their progress on the app, too, with some people in the top 10 and others as low as 16th.

The viral videos have garnered the attention of thousands of viewers, with many sharing their thoughts about the actively unfolding rivalry.

“I have now met the other characters and decided you’re still the one to root for,” one user said to Casey on his latest video.

Another said: “I saw you first but Im rooting for Rudny cuz hes polish sorry.”

“Finally, 3/3 POV unlocked! (technically 4, there’s a girl too). Idk who to root for, either,” a third user commented.

Users across other social media sites have commented on the Kendama videos too, with many shocked at how addicting the videos are.

With millions of views across all the accounts, it’s clear that the Kendamanomics app has a new set of fans checking it out. It’s gotten so popular, in fact, that its creator even decided to join TikTok.

The rivalry between the top three kendama tricksters isn’t the first story to go viral in September, either. Earlier in the month, two travellers attempted to go to Nice, France, but found themselves on a plane to Tunis, Africa, instead.