NORTH AMERICAN KENDAMA OPEN
The 2026 North American Kendama Open is August 21, 22, & 23 in Minneapolis Minnesota.
For more information follow
@NAKendamaOpen
MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON!
NAKO 2025 ROUGH SCHEDULE
THURSDAY
Welcome sesh at the hotel
FRIDAY
9:00 AM: Check In
11:00 AM: Opening Ceremony
12:00 PM: Competition Starts
- Open
- Intermediate
- Advanced
- Freestyle
- Girls Open, Int, Adv
10:00 PM: Video Premieres
Vending: 10am - 5pm
Workshops & Side Comps: All Day
SATURDAY
9:00 AM: Competition Starts
- Student Comp
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
- AM Open
- Beg/Int/Adv Girls
- Girls Open
- Open
- Freestyle
Vending: 10am - 5pm
Workshops & Side Comps: All Day
SUNDAY
10:00AM: Finals Start
- Yank Comp
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
- Beg/Int/Adv Girls
- AM Open
- Girls Open
- Open
- Freestyle
6:30 PM: Trophy Presentation
Vending: 10am - 5pm
Workshops & Side Comps: All Day
NAKO 2025 FAQ
- 3 DAYS FULL OF KENDAMA!
- Open style competition for every skill level.
- World class Freestyle competition.
- Kendama vendors from around the world.
- Workshops for kendama & kendama related skills.
- Video premiers from your favorite kendama brands.
- Mini Games & side activities throughout the weekend.
- Raffles & giveaways.
- EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO ATTEND!
- Kendama players of all ages and skill levels can compete NAKO!
- Players under 16 require a parent or guardian at the event.
- Players under 18 will not be able to book a hotel room and will need parent or guardian present.
- Keep an eye on our Instagram at instagram.com/NAKendamaOpen or check back here for all important updates.
- A precise schedule will not be available until closer to the event date.
- There will be competition and events from roughly 10am - 10pm Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
- We suggest flying in Thursday night and out Monday morning to experience everything
- NAKO is the North American Kendama Open, previously the Minnesota Kendama Open. One of the largest annual kendama competitions in the world.
- The Crowne Plaza West is 23 miles from the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, the hotel does not offer a shuttle but ride share services like Uber or Lyft are readily available.
- This year all 3 days of competition are taking place at 1 venue which once you get to the hotel you will not need additional travel to attend NAKO activities.
- Sweets Kendamas Headquarters will be closed to the public Thursday, Friday, Saturday, & Sunday.Ā
- Historically we have opened our doors the Thursday before NAKO to anyone traveling to Minneapolis. Due to the prep that is required to make NAKO awesome, we will not be hosting a Pre-Jam at Sweets HQ this year.
- Sweets Kendamas is 16 miles from the Crowne Plaza West and 15 miles from MSP.
COMPETING AT NAKO - OPEN STYLE KENDAMA
NAKO IS FOR EVERYONE!
At NAKO there is a competition level for every player from brand new to seasoned pro! We put together a blog of some of the common questions we get from players looking to compete for the first time. Check it out here:
