Let's introduce beigoma to the world (gauging interest)

This is a post to gauge interest. This isnt entirely Beyblade related so I hope it's ok to post this here, but if it's not then I apologise in advance to the mods.

I've been a member of this board for a long time now, although I've been mostly inactive for almost two years now. I became mostly inactive after I moved to Japan, a few months after arriving I decided I wasn't really interested in Burst's metagame. But as some.of you know, while living here I became very interested in a game called beigoma. Beigoma is one of Japan's traditional games and it is the predecessor to Beyblade. It is similar to the early Metal Fight Beyblade or the Heavy Metal System in terms of play style. The game isn't quite as popular as it used to be, it lost a lot of popularity as post-war electronic games became popular, but the game has survived since the Edo period. Currently there are at least seven groups in and around Tokyo where you can play the game, and there are various groups in other parts of Japan that play as well, however I'm only familiar with the Tokyo groups as that is where I live. There is also a national competition every year, I completed last year and lost very early on against one of the beigoma masters (a very skilled old man lol).

As I recall, some people on this board were interested in the game. At the time i was posting about it I was mostly new to the game and still figuring things out and there wasn't really a convenient way for anyone outside of Japan to get their hands on the tops, nor did anybody really understand how to customize tops and there were some issues with play areas. One member here had a friend in Japan obtain and send them a bunch of tops, and I took Kai-V to an event when she visited Japan. Kei was supposed to go to an event as well but bailed out in favor of a Beyblade event lol (damn it Kei).

Things have changed now. I understand much more about the game now and feel more comfortable trying to teach about it to newer players, also now that my Japanese is much better I can more easily ask questions to my friends who play. And now I would like to teach others about the game and introduce this around the world. It would be really cool if we could get beigoma clubs going on in other areas. This game is a lot of fun, and I've made a lot of great friends just through playing. Hell, all of the friends I invited to my wedding were people I met through beigoma lol. This game can also be interesting for people who aren't interested in Beyblade due to it being a children's toy line, and tops are also much cheaper and there's more to the game than just preparing combinations (you have to shave down tops by hand with a metal file).

If there's any interest, I will start up a thread detailing lots of information about beigoma and how to play, also where to play if you visit Japan. I can also make some videos with the help of my friends teaching how to launch, battle rules, how to customize your tops etc. Additionally someone in my beigoma club has started up a beigoma blog with good information on it, I can translate what he has written as well. I will make sure as much information is as available as possible to teach about the game, that includes writing about new techniques and whatnot as I learn them.

Lastly, but also most importantly, I want to create a distribution network so that you guys may easily obtain beigoma in the west straight from the beigoma factory here in Japan without the need to rely on a middle man. This weekend I will be meeting with the head of the beigoma factory (we're going to ask to tour the factory lol), so at that time I can ask him about the factory fulfilling orders of beigoma to people in other countries. If anyone here is interested in being a community leader and doing bulk orders of tops, it should be fine if they are willing to ship abroad. Or if the factory is not willing to do that, I can find another way. My friend, the leader of my beigoma club, has assisted someone in another country obtain beigoma as well, so he may be able to help out.

My goal with this is to create a hypothetical bridge to the western world. I want to introduce the game to more people, bring more attention to my favorite hobby and get other people around the world playing. Then, maybe someday we can have people from other countries flying in to Japan to play in the national tournament. Last year my friends and I joked that it was now the world tournament because there was a foreigner competing (me), but I want to see that become a reality lol.

If you have an interest in simply trying the game, or even starting up a group in your area, write a simple post here and I'll be happy to read it. If you have a message for the president of the beigoma factory, or maybe the beigoma community, feel free to write it also and I can translate it. Maybe we could have an official WBO beigoma league which could help keep stuff going when Beyblade goes on hiatuses, or could quench the thirst of players like myself who don't like Bursts's gimmick so much. Or hell, maybe you just want to see where Beyblade came from.

If this gets enough attention I'll convert this thread to teach about the game while I set up a distribution network for tops and we establish groups in other cities around the world. And if you're ever in Japan, come play with us!

Edit: Just thought of this. Maybe we could sell beigoma through the WBO shop if there's an interest?
I'm very interested, but haven't bothered to learn due to the lack of community outside of Japan and the fact that the tops are actually quite expensive to import (especially if you want one with a decent design). I'm not sure whether we'd be able to grow a community in the West, but I'd love to see someone on the WBO try.
I love Beigoma because it’s literally the history of Beyblade. I think there is a place for it on here and it would really cool to get more bladers to learn and try it as it’s something every blader should know
(Jul. 03, 2018  5:58 PM)The Supreme One Wrote: I'm very interested, but haven't bothered to learn due to the lack of community outside of Japan and the fact that the tops are actually quite expensive to import (especially if you want one with a decent design). I'm not sure whether we'd be able to grow a community in the West, but I'd love to see someone on the WBO try.

Is that so? Why are they expensive, is it because you have to use a middleman? If so that's understandable. The tops are only a few hundred yen in Japan, very cheap and easy to part with if you lose (when we do "honko", we play for keeps. It's fun). But with a middleman adding 500 yen per item, that's definitely understandable why it would be too expensive. Or is this about shipping rates?

That's why I want to set up a proper distribution channel so that groups can buy bulk orders of beigoma straight from the manufacturer, just like the groups in Japan do. We can make a community outside of Japan, that's the goal here.

(Jul. 03, 2018  7:54 PM)OfficialGoob Wrote: I love Beigoma because it’s literally the history of Beyblade. I think there is a place for it on here and it would really cool to get more bladers to learn and try it as it’s something every blader should know

Yeah that's what originally got me into the game. The gameplay is slightly different, but if you liked the early Metal system or HMS I think you'll have fun.
(Jul. 03, 2018  11:08 PM)Wizard Wrote:
(Jul. 03, 2018  5:58 PM)The Supreme One Wrote: I'm very interested, but haven't bothered to learn due to the lack of community outside of Japan and the fact that the tops are actually quite expensive to import (especially if you want one with a decent design). I'm not sure whether we'd be able to grow a community in the West, but I'd love to see someone on the WBO try.

Is that so? Why are they expensive, is it because you have to use a middleman? If so that's understandable. The tops are only a few hundred yen in Japan, very cheap and easy to part with if you lose (when we do "honko", we play for keeps. It's fun). But with a middleman adding 500 yen per item, that's definitely understandable why it would be too expensive. Or is this about shipping rates?

That's why I want to set up a proper distribution channel so that groups can buy bulk orders of beigoma straight from the manufacturer, just like the groups in Japan do. We can make a community outside of Japan, that's the goal here.
That would be awesome. I typically buy imports off Ebay, but last I checked, the cheapest beigoma I could find that had a decent design & string was almost $30.
(Jul. 04, 2018  1:32 AM)The Supreme One Wrote:
(Jul. 03, 2018  11:08 PM)Wizard Wrote: Is that so? Why are they expensive, is it because you have to use a middleman? If so that's understandable. The tops are only a few hundred yen in Japan, very cheap and easy to part with if you lose (when we do "honko", we play for keeps. It's fun). But with a middleman adding 500 yen per item, that's definitely understandable why it would be too expensive. Or is this about shipping rates?

That's why I want to set up a proper distribution channel so that groups can buy bulk orders of beigoma straight from the manufacturer, just like the groups in Japan do. We can make a community outside of Japan, that's the goal here.
That would be awesome. I typically buy imports off Ebay, but last I checked, the cheapest beigoma I could find that had a decent design & string was almost $30.

Oh my gosh, really??? We buy them for around $2 a piece here in Japan. Yeah, I'll definitely make sure you can get them for the same price (or slightly higher so your group leader can make up for shipping)
I would love to see this take off!
I would be interested in learning more about the game and even giving it a try. I like Japanese history and history in general.
INTERESTING FACT : Like BEIGOMA is played in JAPAN , In INDIA , We play LATTU ( a traditional game where a person loosely tires a thread around the outer edges of the LATTU and pulls the thread when the LATTU is kept on the surface of a plain area , It is extremely popular in Rural - India )

SEE IT YOURSELF : https://www.google.co.in/search?ei=MRJMW...SF_YtzuXnM
So you said that beigoma are filed down by hand. Does that mean we make our own beigoma from a standard block piece and we make a one of a kind thing or is it a factory style many are identical but filed by hand in their creation?
If it helps I have a major interest Wink
Not only in the tops but all that’s around it as well

As a first purchase i’d more than down to plop down around 50 - 100 euros. The thing is, the way it stands now, with most middle man you don’t get a say in which type or which design you get (it’s all random). The other option is you pay crazy prices on the bay (30 dollars for a set of 2).

If this does take off you can count on me being both very happy and very keen on helping around where it’s needed.
I have acces to a kiln myself so in the worst case scenario I could be able to replicate the tops as well.

I do think that, that isn’t a real option because I want to keep the (last) beigoma factory to keep doing its business
so i just stared playing beigoma here in sweden with a friend of mine we both love it so much that we want to modify them and this leads to my question

i was wondering what is the best way to keep the tip of the beigoma pointy?

could you direct me to a place where there is instructions on how to modify it properly? like how to file it so on so forth without ruining it
or the tip for that matter

please post more stuff about beigoma
im so on this train bro