JKA Kendamas

OK, I just heard back from the Ozora guys about what they were/are trying to do with the Taisei. Apparently they are promoting it for older players as an "anti-aging" device/activity. I'd still like to try one out regardless of the intended target market.

Here is their reply to my email asking for more info on the Taisei. (slightly edited for readability)
Why is this a special design? These new models have bigger cups, and a lighter weight for "high aged" (older) players making it more easily playable.

With these new model kendama, you can move your body healthily, using your knees and waist.
At the same time, you use your fingers and think of the movement with your brain, that would be another effect of anti-aging. (anti-aging means not to become old physically) These effect may help high aged persons to enhance their health promotion.

People can test Kyu and Jun-shodan of JKA. (Basic level and Middle level skill)

Taisei mean “very very fine weather”.

 

Have you tried their contact form?

 

Thanks for the link!
What's more interesting was when i dug around the website and found these:




http://www.japan-toys.com/cgi-bin/us-goods.cgi?id=R-0037

 

Oh! I heard that these are being produced by the company that made the JKA TK16 master. Now its the meister. I lol'd when I first heard that, and I'm still lol'ing now.

First time I've actually seen one though, sad to see it isn't the TK16 shape. This may mean they're using a different factory... and honestly, it was the factory that made the TK16 that made the TK16, if you know what I mean. If the same company contracts some other factory to make the kendamas, then I would expect quality and playability to be different.
(NOTE, I say this without having seen/played one, so I don't mean to be preaching fact. I'm just speculating)

 

Wow... it does look like a Mugen seal! Thats actually kinda lame, I hope its just the colours in the photo that are looking so similar!

 

I wonder what the website charges for shipping to Malaysia.. or do i just wait for Spingear to get some..?
I am hugely interested in getting an almost-Mugen!

Hahahaha IKR?
It's like, JKA probably told them "you gotta stop using TK-16 Master, so you don't confuse people", and they were like "pffftt ok, we'll use Meister instead"
Although, i wonder if the JKA disallows former JKA-supported companies to use the same brand name..
So far, it's 2 for 2 with Hakushinsya and Tamiwa (and i think, Iwata Mokko as well).

I would like to get one of these to compare with my last gen TKs (don't know if mine's a mutie TK).
Again, it's good to know that these companies don't view JKA as the endgame.
They keep making, regardless of situation.

 

Those actually look like the Mutant TK16.

 

Might it be that Tamiwa produced both the Meijin and the Meister?

 

Might be the manufacturer that makes both if they are the ones that originally manufactured the TK16 and the Mutant.

 

I've just had a conversation with someone i can trust with, in this field (for privacy purposes, i shall not name the source, sorry).
And i can indeed verify to you that Kiwami has taken over the Chinese factory that produced the Mutant TKs and that the Meisters are indeed Tamiwa-san's product.
I posted up a couple of pictures not too long ago, and if you look closely, the same leaflet contained in the Meister packaging are the ones found in the old TK packages.

 

Yeap, as long as they have the JKA approved seal on them they're okay for JKA stuff.

Outside of actually attending a JKA contest, any ozora will be fine for contest use.