The main reason I was in favor of having the 2015 contest in Japan was to establish a contact with the koma players. But another more personal reason was to visit the koma museum. Although it could be a day trip in the Shinkansen bullet train, I figured I would need to stay overnight to see everything. Not only did I do that, but I also fulfilled my secret dream of sleeping at the museum itself (actually above)! It was Taka's suggestion and Mr. Fujita agreed after a warning that it would be "Japanese style" accommodations. Much better, I thought!
The museum occupies all the first floor of a two-story building. The front of the museum is a shop, mostly selling tops, plus diabolos and kites and a few toys. This is the entrance:
The sign says Japanese Koma Museum, "koma" written in Kanji characters.
The shop section:
which includes a throwing/playing area:
The museum is behind the shop. How many tops does it have? Fujita first told me 5,000 but he then corrected himself and said 50,000! I know for sure that there are A LOT!
I guess the required photo if you visit is with the biggest top of all:
I was picked up from the city commuter train station by Yukino and Fujita. I met Hiroko at the museum and soon Shogo joined us. Later in the evening Keita came after school. They did for me all the 45 tricks on the current koma ladder, we had Japanese sweets, browsed the tops of the collection and had a great time. We even played target battle:
"Uncle koma" hit the smaller cap on the first throw but continued trying to hit it on the rest of the throws without success so Shogo ended up winning (I was also throwing a koma but aiming at the biggest targets).
At dinner time all of us went upstairs to Fujita's home where his wife, Hiroko, served us a traditional sukiyaki. It is a meal with meat, vegetables and other ingredients that is simmered at the center of the table in an iron dish. You pick the food with your chopsticks and mix them with raw beaten eggs on your bowl. By the way, Hiroko is the nicest host and she was helped by Yukino who is almost like a daughter to them. It was very special for me to share that dinner with the five of them and I really felt part of the koma family. I did not take pictures inside his house but there is one on Fujita's Facebook.
After dinner we went downstairs to play some more. Keita and Shogo gave me advice on playing with komas and I showed them some of the western tricks that they have not yet incorporated to their play.
After Keita and Yukino left I did not want to exhaust my host anymore so I called it the night. I slept on the tatami of a large washitsu, a traditional Japanese room with no furniture, sliding paper doors and a tokoma. Being there and knowing that tens of thousands of tops were below me was truly surreal. It gave the trip a whole new dimension. I cannot thank Hiroko and Uncle Koma enough for receiving me in their home and museum.
The next morning, after a breakfast of Japanese sweets and tea, I had the opportunity of inspecting a little more the collection. But, of course, I did not have enough time to ask all the questions I wanted to ask.
The T-shirt I used on the winning freestyle is now part of the museum, as well as a top I left with the condition that Keita, Shogo and any other players could use it.
