06 Jul Takumi Yasumoto wins Japan Nationals for the first time! Takumi Hakamata comes third!

Team Yoyorecreation member Takumi Yasumoto took home the title at the Japan National Yo-yo contest held in Tokyo on the 17th and 18th of June 2017.
Despite having world class skill and competing at the highest levels, Takumi had never managed to win a major title. The expectations for him for this competition were therefore higher than ever before.
After topping the semi-final round on the first day of the competition, Takumi took to the stage on the second day with some confidence.
Cruised through a plethora of incredibly high difficulty tricks with ease, Takumi left the crowds wondering whether his tricks were indeed that difficult. Although his freestyle was tainted towards the end by very unlucky bad bind, the consistency at which he pulled off his high level routine will surely put this freestyle down in history. In the end, he narrowly defeated the defending champion Rei Iwakura by 0.6 points.

Rookie Team Yoyorecreation member Takumi Hakamata took home 3rd place. Possessing the technical ability to match that of Takumi Yasumoto, Takumi Hakamata’s lit up the competition with a freestyle which was packed full of tricks which were both bold and clever at the same time. Although it was Takumi’s first entry at the Japan National Yo-yo contest, this unforgettable performance is a clear statement of intent from him, and we look forward to seeing his process at the Asia Pacific Yo-yo Contest.