THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING KACHI KACHI - PART 1
August 12, 2024
At a fathers’ day luncheon, we were approached by one of the Bon odori dance instructors. She asked If we could make some Kachi Kachi’s for the upcoming Obons. Having seen them our whole lives, we never really looked at them. Utilitarian items, sticks, bang them together during certain dances. Even the name suggests what they are, they make kachi kachi noises.
They seem simple enough, rectangular sticks of bamboo or the round castanet ones, sometimes painted, sometimes not, sometimes with strings, sometimes not.
Soon, learning that the round ones were for kids and beginners. The rectangular bamboo ones are preferred and more traditional. Sometimes with string, sometimes not, sometimes painted and sometimes not.
Research is an often-favorite aspect of design and being trained as an Industrial Designers, jumped into research and attempted to obtain some different samples. Looking online and soon finding 6 or 7 links. Quickly and repeatedly reading that “no stock and unknown when available”. Online research found that no one carries rectangular ones anymore although the round ones are readily available. Nowhere online to be found, hmmm.
Researching further produced a Nichi Bei article that listed stores with Bon Odori accessories! Calling all the stores listed (and are still open) and found that various stores haven’t been able to find suppliers anymore and some storekeepers offered that they haven’t been able to get them since around 2020. Covid pandemic? Going back to reread the article more completely, the 2015 date of publishing popped up.
Another discovery was that even though one need 2 pairs for dancing, one pair for each hand, all the vendors sold them as a set being 1 pair. Most 2016-2021 prices listed hovered around $15@pair to $20@pair for the rectangular bamboo ones. Whereas a lot of the round ones, wood or plastic, are still around $5 and up.
So research conclusions of the missing rectangular bamboo kachi kachi’s are:
· the pandemic probably impacted the makers.
· Price point unprofitable to make.
· limited market, needed only once a year, few dances require kachi kachis and not everyone dances at Obon.
· The round one being cheaper and also cross over to other music.
Well, all the “research” did not yield any samples but…
If your family goes to Obon, chances are you or relative has a bag or a box with kachi kachi’s, 10-12 fans, and other items for Bon Odori. Luckily, in a garage cabinet was our bag and with kachi kachi’s! 3 different pairs of rectangular and 2 pairs of round ones and 10-12 fans.