Kendama Co is coming back…but why?

It has been nearly ten years since the once popular kendama brand, Kendama Co, disgracefully exited the kendama scene. The end of the Co era was an ugly one, plagued by negligent owners, a demoralized workforce, and less than stellar products. But now, the company is making a “comeback” under new ownership in January 2025.

But why?

Now, look, I’ll be transparent with you right from the start. I have my own biases towards this company. As a former employee, I saw firsthand the downfall of the Co, and needless to say we didn’t end on great terms. The whole company was a mess, and while I’m certainly grateful for the experience of working within the industry, I’m glad that tie was severed when it was.

Okay, so back to our question. Why now?

Its no secret that the kendama industry is, let’s just say, not as lucrative as one may think. Indeed, even the largest companies have had their fair share of struggles, and unfortunately the story hasn’t changed much. The industry circulates a limited amount of funds and shows little to no growth year after year, so the dollar caries a lot of weight for our favorite Japanese toy. It isn’t like major companies like Kendama USA, Sol Kendamas, Krom, and Sweets Kendamas, aren’t trying to grow the game. They are, and they’ve invested what precious little funds they have to this endeavor. The cold hard truth is that, despite these efforts, the money that keeps the industry afloat isn’t sustainable. The industry has seen a significant influx of smaller companies over the past few years, which inherently isn’t a bad thing. The problems I have are the motivations behind these startups and them siphoning off sales that are barely keeping our favorite brands afloat. It’s painfully obvious to me that a vast majority of these companies are getting involved just to make a quick buck off a niche community, which wouldn’t be such an issue if the industry was raking it in, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. What our sport needs is growth and exposure, and we do not attain either of those things by introducing more brands.

And now, that same thing is happening yet again.