Kendama
Played in: Japan
What it's made of
Beech or maple wood, cotton string
How to play
Swing the ball up and try to land it in one of three cups, or spike it onto the pointed tip. Hundreds of named tricks exist, from beginner catches to competition-level combos.
A little history
The toy traveled from 16th-century France as a simple cup-and-ball game, reached Japan during the Edo period, and was refined there into the three-cup design we see today.