Smile Kendama are made by the same people that manufacture the Ozora Kendama. The kendama incorporates an additional 2 cups on the stem, making 5 cups in total. This allows for a lot of new tricks. Watch our product video below.
Although Smile kendama are sanctioned by the Japanese Kendama Association (JKA) it is not approved for competition use.
A great, fun addition to any kendama players collection.
We believe the balls (tama) on these Sky Blue 5 cup Ozora kendama are OG (Original Generation). One of the photos shows these sky blue 5 cup next to a new generation Blue Ozora.
Sold in the original Japanese packaging with instructions (in Japanese) and one spare kendama string.
Not suitable for children under 12 years.
Kendama will suffer wear during play. The paint will chip. The wood will chip and may crack. The string will wear out and may break. This is normal wear and tear and is not covered by any warranty.
From our post on Facebook:
Are our 5 cup Ozora OG? A customer named Steve asked if our Ozora 5 Cup kendama have Original Generation (OG) tamas (balls). I believe the answer is yes – the balls on our Red and Sky Blue 5 cup Ozoras are OG. It was a very good question so thought I would take a closer look at our 5 cup Ozora and post some photos here. Have a read and see what you all think, any corrections or clarifications are welcome!
First some background: as I understand it, Ozora changed the paints used in late 2011 to get safety certification for the US market. The older paints were used on what came to be known as OG Ozora. From what I have read, the OG Tama were painted directly on the wood while new generation Ozora are painted on a white primer.
Steve also told me that he had heard that the OG tamas have fine horizontal lines on the paintwork, something I had not noticed before. And he is right, they do. I was able to compare a new generation tama with an OG from my collection and an OG 5 cup. Both have horizontal stripes. I have tried to take a photo to show this, they are hard to see though!
Our stock of green 5 cup Ozoras were purchased in 2012. The colour is identical to the current solid green Ozora and they do not have well defined horizontal stripes, so I do not have any reason to think these are OG.
The red and Sky Blue 5 cup Ozora were bought in May 2011. I believe the new paints were introduced in late 2011? I am not positive about that.
Finally, the OG tamas have different colours or hues to the new generation tamas. The sky blue is clearly a different colour to the new light blue ozora, and to my knowledge the lighter sky blue has never been made using the new paints. So the Sky Blue Smile 5 Cup Ozora must have an OG ball. The red Smile 5 cup Ozora is slightly more pale than the new generation red. I believe these are also OG balls. See for yourself from the photos.
So what does this mean to you? OG Ozora are increasingly rare, and prices are increasing. Anyone wanting an OG Ozora Tama could get one by purchasing the red or sky blue 5 cup ozora. But do remember that there are minor changes to the design of the OG kens too.
The string on your kendama will wear out and can break. It is a user replaceable part; we recommend you buy some spare strings.
All Kendama will suffer wear during play. The paint will chip. The wood will chip and may crack. The string will wear out and may break. This is normal wear and tear.
Wood is a natural material. The weight and finish of wooden kendama will vary.
Kendama are not suitable for children under 12 years old. It is possible to cause injury when playing with a kendama. Please play with care.
