Kendama World Championship Held In Hiroshima
Players of kendama, a traditional Japanese cup-and-ball game, have battled for the world title at a tournament in the city of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture.
The city is said to be where the manufacture of the skill toy first began in Japan.
A record 725 people from 12 countries and territories, including Japan, the United States and South Korea, have participated in this year's event. Among them, 40 people who won the preliminary round took part in the final on Sunday.
In the final, each player showed off a series of difficult techniques within three minutes, and competed for the best overall score.
They tried difficult techniques, such as tossing the handle, rather than the ball, into the air and spinning it. The spectators gave a big round of applause every time the players pulled off a trick.
The event has been held for the past eight years. But this was the first to be held in-person in three years due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A woman who came from the city of Hiroshima to watch said that she was moved and her hands trembled when she saw the competitors make difficult moves.