It may have started as a drinking game in Japan.
It is uncertain when kendama arrived in Japan. There is evidence which shows that it might have come to Japan via the Silk Road during the Edo Period (from 1603 to 1868). Foreign trade at the time was only through the city of Nagasaki, which was the only port open to foreigners. It is estimated that the game most probably entered Japan around 1777 to 1778. It may have started as a drinking game, where the player who made a mistake was forced to drink more.
