KYLIN is NEW YO-YO brand
KYLIN stands for KENDI YOYO LABORATORY & INDUSTRY, a passion project started by Dr. Kenji, an engineering Ph.D. with 20 years of experience in yo-yoing as of 2025. While the spelling “KYLIN” may be difficult for Japanese speakers to read, it is pronounced “Kīrin.”
In 2025, as its first major initiative, KYLIN launched a yo-yo production project using 3D printing technology. I want to create products that bring smiles to the faces of people who truly love yo-yos—people just like me.
Why does KENDI create KYLIN?
I, Dr. Kenji, began yo-yoing in 2005 at the age of 20. Back then, I never imagined I would continue with yo-yos for 20 years. But thanks to the many friends and connections I’ve made, I’m still deeply involved in yo-yoing as of 2025.
The year 2024 was an exciting one for yo-yo enthusiasts, with many fascinating yo-yos being released. It was a thrilling time for yo-yo geeks like myself. I ended up buying a bunch of yo-yos for the first time in a while (though still fewer than ten). Buying new yo-yos is always fun for players. However, I came to a surprising realization—that even after buying so many yo-yos, I wasn’t fully satisfied.
One trigger for this realization was the “Strongest Yo-Yo” project by Takatsu Tsukasa, a YouTuber affiliated with onedrop, and Kengo Kido, the owner of yoyorecreation. This YouTube-based project called for new yo-yo design ideas from the public, with yoyorecreation selecting and producing a design based on the best submission.
At the time of the call for ideas, I had nothing to contribute, so I didn’t apply (a first-round dropout, so to speak). But as I continued watching the videos, a thought gradually took hold of me: “Yes, I’ll make my version of the ‘strongest yo-yo.’ I’ll create something I personally want.” That realization, combined with the Noma sellout incident, was the decisive moment.
And so, my personal creative activity began. KYLIN is basically a project for creating things I want—but I also strive to make products that will resonate with people who truly love yo-yos.
May 21, 2025
Kenji Takahashi
Postscript
What follows is a bit of an aside. As I mentioned at the beginning, KYLIN is short for KENDI YOYO LABORATORY & INDUSTRY. However, if you look up “KYLIN” in an English dictionary, you’ll find it’s also the romanized spelling for “麒麟” (kirin), a mythical creature from ancient Chinese lore. Sometimes it’s spelled QEELIN, too.
I chose KYLIN because the acronym worked out nicely, and it had better phonetic balance. Also, yoyorecreation once released a yo-yo called QEELIN, so I wanted to distinguish this project from that.
While “kirin” feels more natural in Japanese pronunciation, this spelling, when read in an English-style pronunciation, sounds more like “kee-lin,” which I preferred. Since yo-yo players exist all over the world, I chose the name with international pronunciation in mind.
When people hear “kirin,” many might think of Kirin Beer. But Kirin Beer is spelled KIRIN in English—so it’s a little different.
In everyday Japanese, the word “kirin” usually refers to the giraffe—the animal found in Africa or zoos. Giraffes are cute too, so I plan to use them in various design elements. But then again, people in English-speaking countries might not get the connection. It’s a bit of a dilemma… but oh well.
