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News US kendama champion hired by town in Yamagata

thomas

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14 Mar 2002
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Nick Gallagher, a 22-year-old US kendama (けん玉) champion, has landed a job as a "local revitalization collaborator" in Nagai, a Yamagata town producing some 70% of the traditional toys in the country. That calls for a "specialist" visa.

Gallagher started doing kendama at the age of 11, and turned pro under the banner of his U.S. employer in 2017. He has won many championships, including the 2018 Kendama World Cup. Having spoken on social media with an international relations coordinator in Nagai, he applied for the local revitalization program upon graduating from university in June this year. Gallagher lives in the city and will become a manager at the Kendama Hiroba Spike facility where people can freely play with the toys. Utilizing the skills with which he ruled the Japanese cup-and-ball world, he will perform and plan events, and promote kendama to young people. He will also distribute information on the traditional toys to other countries and publicize the city through initiatives such as bidding to host the Kendama World Cup.






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