Pickleball may be popular these days, but did you know that hanetsuki, a traditional New Year’s game in Japan that also features a paddle, predates pickleball by more than 600 years?
Hanetsuki was initially a rite done during exorcisms before it became a children’s game during the Muromachi period (1333-1568). The game, which is played with no net, features a shuttlecock called “hane”, and wooden paddles called “hagoita” designed with various representations of natural scenery and popular personas.
As a nod to tradition, Namiki features the hane and the hagoita in their Namiki Nippon Art Toy series using the Hira Maki-e technique that offers flat lacquer layering.
We have a brand new Namiki Nippon Art Toy Hagoita fountain pen for sale. It carries a #10 14-karat gold nib in F and comes complete with its box, papers, and converter.
