MESH tokyo is the sibling of goenKendama (est. 2012) in the Philippines which itself was the offspring of go-en The Japanese Ramen Shoppe (est. 2012).  We are also the retail arm of dXi Trading (est. 2010) here in Harajuku, the heart of Tokyo.  On the web we can also be found at kendama.tokyo.  (Kendama Art Shop, Kendama Shop, けん玉とアートの店, けん玉ショップ )

Since 2012 we have been actively promoting kendama in the Philippines and world-wide.  We have been teaching the JKA system of kendama since 2016.

If you are looking for kendama in Tokyo, look no further.  We carry Japan Kendama Association (JKA) certified kendama as well as kendama and kendama related goods from around the world.  With our group, the Harajuku Kendama Club, we also have kendama meet-ups throughout the year.  Interested in taking a JKA kendama ranking test?  We have a JKA certified instructor on staff.

We also have artist & artisan goods from Japan and the U.S.A.  Many items are what you might call “functional art.”  They can be used as well as admired.  Examples of our functional art offerings are our hand made glassware, and our custom knives which may easily be used in daily life.  The artisans who created the pieces have worked decades to perfect their craft and we now offer the results of their efforts.  Bring the beauty and function of these pieces into your home and life.

Have a look at our eclectic collection of artist & artisan goods, kendama, and sundries.  Things are always changing so visit often.

See what others are saying about MESH.tokyo; check out our Google Reviews: Click Here

MESH.tokyo – 東京の中心、原宿で、けん玉・工芸品・墨絵・カスタムナイフ・ハンドメイドアイテムなど、あなたのライフスタイルに合った商品をご提案致します。(Kendama Art Shop けん玉とアートの店)

日本けん玉協会（JKA）認定のけん玉だけでなく、世界中からけん玉やけん玉関連商品を扱っています。 私たちのグループである原宿けん玉クラブでは、年間を通してけん玉の交流会も開催しています。 JKAけん玉ランキングテストに興味がありますか？ スタッフにはJKA認定のインストラクターがいます。

Cheers,
the MESH tokyo crew

Tokyo Kendama Shop, 東京けん玉店, Harajuku Kendama Shop, 原宿けん玉店,  けん玉ショップ, けん玉専門店, Kendama Tokyo, けん玉

Kendama Cowboy

The Kendama Cowboy came about as a fusion between his Texas heritage and his love for Japan. The samurai movie Seven Samurai and its American remake The Magnificent Seven drew parallels between the samurai code and that of cowboys. With a background in Japanese martial arts, the precepts of the Japan Kendama Association’s “Kendama-dō” or (The Way of Kendama) also resonated. The Cowboy became an instructor for the JKA in 2016 after having played kendama since 2012.

Publications:

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:01 JST, May 4, 2023

‘Kendama Cowboy’ Swinging Cup and Ball Game to New Highs

Samurai fascinated John Geron and provided the inspiration for him to come to Japan in the early 1990s. The American then fell in love with kendama, and he’s hard at work promoting the cup and ball game.

Kendama consists of a hammer-shaped handle connected to a ball by a string. It has three cups and a spike on which the ball, which has a hole through it, can fit.

A native of Texas, Geron, now living in Tokyo, calls himself “Kendama Cowboy” and runs a kendama store. He is enthusiastic about learning more about kendama and spreading the game around the world.

Geron studied the Japanese language when he was a graduate student in international business in the United States. He moved to Japan in 1993 and has worked various jobs such as a model, narrator and photographer. He also runs a model agency with his partner.

His interest in kendama deepened 11 years ago. He and his partner opened a ramen shop overseas and put kendama on display in the restaurant. The decoration became a topic of conversation among the staff and customers.

Geron then began studying kendama in earnest. He feels that kendama “has many similarities to Bushido, the way of the samurai, which emphasizes the training of the mind, technique and body.” He taught himself kendama techniques by watching online videos.

He joined the Japan Kendama Association in Tokyo in 2016. He became the first non-Japanese to qualify as a 2-kyu level instructor, which allows him to judge tournaments and certify dan levels. He advanced to the 2-dan level in 2018, and also helped revamp the association’s website.

Last July, Geron opened “MESH.tokyo,” a kendama store in Tokyo’s Harajuku district. The shop sells Japanese kendama in addition to kendama made in the United States and other countries, including colorful kendama in blue and pink.

The store holds open-air kendama classes out front approximately twice a month. About 10 people gathered on April 1 to compete in the number of times they could do the “tomeken” and “todai” tricks. Tomeken is the basic trick of landing the ball onto the spike. Todai, which means “lighthouse,” entails holding the ball and flipping the handle onto the ball so that the handle stands upright.

“I started playing kendama to have fun with my child,” said Makoto Hikida, a 43-year-old company employee from Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, who participated in the class. “I want to be able to do a series of tricks myself.”

“The appeal of kendama is that it is easy and fun for anyone to learn, and through practice and competition with peers, it not only helps develop concentration and perseverance, but also helps build individual character,” Geron said.

Kendama has been attracting worldwide attention in recent years as a game to play on the street, and Geron hopes it will eventually become an Olympic sport.

「サムライ」にあこがれ来日、のめり込んだのは…テキサス出身「けん玉カウボーイ」参上

2023/04/27 15:30

日本のけん玉の普及に力を入れている米国人がいる。東京在住のジョン・ゲレンさん（６１）は、「サムライ」にあこがれて来日し、けん玉にのめり込んだ。テキサス出身で、「けん玉カウボーイ」を名乗り、販売店も経営する。「けん玉をもっと勉強して世界に広げたい」と意気込んでいる。

　ゲレンさんは米国の大学院で国際経営学を学びながら日本語を勉強。１９９３年に単身で日本に渡り、モデルやナレーション、カメラマンなどの仕事をしてきた。現在はパートナーの女性と一緒にモデル事務所を運営している。

けん玉への興味を深めたのは１１年前。パートナーと海外で開いたラーメン店に飾ってあったけん玉について、店員や客と話題になり、勉強を始めた。けん玉には「心技体の修練を重んじる、武士道に似ているところが多い」と感じたという。それからは、動画サイトなどで技を独学で学んでいった。

　２０１６年には「日本けん玉協会」（東京）に入会。外国人として初めて、大会の審判や段位認定ができる２級指導員の資格を取得した。１８年には二段まで進み、協会ホームページの刷新を手伝うこともあった。

　昨年７月に東京・原宿に、けん玉ショップ「ＭＥＳＨ．ｔｏｋｙｏ」を開いた。日本製だけでなく米国などの海外製も扱い、青やピンクなどカラフルなけん玉なども販売する。店の前では月に２回ほど、けん玉の青空教室も開いている。今月１日には約１０人が集まり、「とめけん」や「灯台」といった技の回数を競った。参加した千葉県船橋市の会社員の男性（４３）は「子どもと楽しもうと、けん玉を始めた。自分も連続技をできるようになりたい」と話した。

　けん玉の魅力について、ゲレンさんは「誰でも気軽に始め、楽しめるところ。練習や仲間との競争を通じて、集中力や忍耐力が身につき、人格形成にも役立つ」と語る。けん玉は近年、ストリートスポーツとして世界でも注目されているといい、「ゆくゆくは五輪の競技になってほしい」と夢を膨らませている。