Hello, this is Karibe m(__)m
We received so many kind words from readers who checked out our previous feature, “Sting Ray—NAMM Anniversary Model Celebrating Its ‘100th Anniversary’!!” Once again, thank you so much to everyone who read it! m(__)m!!
This time, I’m not introducing a single guitar… but rather, a special bonus feature on “yo-yos” (∩￣∇￣)∩" I’m sure most of you are thinking, “Why?”—but please read this column to find out more♪
It happened one day at an izakaya.
Just as the president was about to walk past my seat,
he spotted a yo-yo attached to my bag and
Huh? What’s this?
This? It’s a yo-yo!!
“Do you play with yo-yos?”
Yeah, I might actually collect them more than I play musical instruments (lol)
We get a lot of international customers, so wouldn’t it be fun to make our own original yo-yos for them to take home as souvenirs? There are plenty of apparel and promotional items out there, but it might be surprisingly fun if a music store made authentic yo-yos (lol).
Sure! You have my permission—go ahead and make them!!
…(;￣Д￣)!!!!!?
That was a long lead-up, but a few days later, I contacted “Spin Gear,” a yo-yo specialty shop with physical locations in Akihabara and Nishi-Hachioji. A few days later, I headed over for a meeting ヽ(´▽`)/ “My destination was Akihabara!!
I visited the AKIBA Cultures ZONE store.
Yo-Yo Shop Spin Gear Akihabara Branch
1-7-6 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, AKIBA Cultures ZONE 3F-D
Phone/Fax: 03-6206-4200
Open year-round Weekdays 12:00 PM–8:00 PM; Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays 1:00 PM–8:00 PM
The entire wall is covered with yo-yos!! Collector’s items such as Coca-Cola, Sukeban Detective, and Hyper Yo-Yo are on display♪
On the wall is an autograph from Mr. “Alex Garcia”—a nostalgic sight for those of us from the Hyper Yo-Yo generation!! I really wanted one of those… Even though it was a weekday, the place was bustling with customers.
Takahiko “TAKA” Hasegawa Profile:
Born in 1975.2002, 2005, and 2011 AP Division Yo-Yo World Champion; 2000 Team Play Division Champion. In 1999, he became the first person in the world to master the “Solo Ham,” the most difficult trick involving manipulating two yo-yos with one hand. In recognition of his achievements in Japan, he received the Yo-Yo Master Award in 2003—the first non-American to be honored with this award for outstanding contributions to the yo-yo world.He is currently active in a wide range of roles, including professional instructor, performer, coordinator, and judge. As the manager of the online yo-yo shop “Spin Gear,” he oversees its operations and opened Japan’s first brick-and-mortar yo-yo specialty store, Spin Gear, which remains in operation today in Akihabara. He founded his own company in 2011 and continues to work as both a business owner and a performer.
*Partially quoted from the Yo-Yo Friends Association website
Takahiko Hasegawa Official Site: Yo-Yo Friends Club
My idol was right in front of me!!!
Even though I’ve met him a few times before… I was incredibly nervous (;´Д`)ﾞ lol. Before our meeting, he showed me a few tricks m(__)m
Takahiko “TAKA” Hasegawa YOYO PLAY!!!
And here is one of his signature tricks, the “Solo Ham.”
Wow… that was amazing ヽ(´▽`)/!!
It was a bit of a last-minute request, but thank you so much m(__)m
And now, on to the main topic: the design meeting. I’d sent over some design concepts beforehand, but this time—even though I was being selfish and insisted, “I want to include the logos of the brands involved in the production, in addition to the ‘TCGAKKI’ logo!’”—they went ahead and included the brand logos for me ヽ(´▽`)/!!!
Thank you so much for this wonderful collaboration! m(__)m!!!
And this time, out of the many yo-yos available,
- a yo-yo that’s fun for both beginners and experienced players alike
- A high-quality model at a price students can afford
- A yo-yo that requires minimal maintenance and can be enjoyed simply by swapping out the strings
and more. ヽ(´▽`)/"
After all, if a musical instrument isn’t fun, it’s hard to stick with it for long… (￣▽￣;)" And with that, our meeting for the day came to a close.
“Journey” is YOYOJAM’s flagship plastic model. Its basic “butterfly” shape features a thick-walled body that provides stability despite being made entirely of plastic, making it a model popular with a wide range of users, from beginners to competitive players.It’s so well-crafted you’d never guess it’s in this price range. Although it weighs about 61g—slightly lighter than serious competition yo-yos—it’s exceptionally well-balanced, so you won’t feel like it lacks spin. It’s a popular choice for those returning to the hobby after the hyper-yo-yo boom about 10 years ago, and it has established itself as a go-to model for stepping up your game or getting started in competitive yo-yoing.
・ Manufacturer: Yo-Yo Jam
・ Style: For string tricks
・ Weight: Approx. 61g
・ Diameter: 57mm
・ Width: 42mm
・ Body Material: Polycarbonate/ABS, etc.
・ Response: 0-ring
・ Bearing (Axis): Size C bearing (flat by default)
・ Bind: Compatible with both bind and pull-back styles
* Although it supports both pull-back and bind modes, separate yo-yo oil is required for pull-back setup. * Excerpted from some Spin Gear product pages
While creating the original Journey,
I received a special message from Yo-Yo Master TAKA!!
Thank you for reading all the way to the end m(__)m
Well then… this installment of “Caribe’s ‘My Personal’ Picks - Special Edition” has basically turned into a column about my personal hobby (lol)
My personal hobby is “yo-yo.”
Even though I’m just a nameless staff member at a small music store, I’d be happy if this sparked even a little interest in music or instruments among musicians—like guitarists and bassists who say, “I’ve never played with a yo-yo!”—as well as among yo-yo players themselves. I hope that, in my own small way, I can be of some help to you all m(__)m
One way or another, this is the sixth installment of my column series.
As always, I wonder if there will even be a next installment (;￣Д￣)!? Stay tuned for the next installment of “Calibe’s 〈My Pick〉: One That Catches My Eye” m(__)m
If you have any questions about musical instruments or yo-yos, please feel free to contact TCGAKKI or Caribé♪
Yo-Yo Shop Spin Gear
URL: http://spingear.jp/
YoYoJam | The Choice of Champions
URL: http://yoyojam.com/