Tenkey] Tenkaichi Keyboard Waiwai Kai Vol.9 Report-1

On November 8, 2025, “Tenkaichi Keyboard Waiwai Kai Vol. 9” was held at the DMM.com Group Seminar Room (Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower 24F).

The ninth annual meeting was well attended, with a capacity of 370 participants, the largest number ever.

At the ending of the event, it was also announced that the next event will be held on February 8, 2026.

Tenkaichi Keyboard Waiwai Kai Vol.10

Therefore, the event will now be held three times a year (February, May, and November) instead of twice a year (May and November).

This article is a report of our coverage as media press.

Click here for the individual booth section

This page contains advertisements. Products and links provided by manufacturers may be included, but will be fairly verified and clearly disclosed in accordance with our editorial policy.

Report on Tenkaichi Keyboard Waiwai Kai Vol. 9 ➖ Company Booths

The Tenkaichi Keyboard Waiwai Kai tends to focus on home-made keyboards, but the sponsors are also very generous, and the event also has an aspect of an exhibition of new products and development samples.

The following 11 companies participated in this year’s event as sponsors.

Let’s pick up the booths to be interviewed and introduce them.

Libertouch (FCL Components, Inc.)

As for our media, we have not been able to follow the progress since the ES products were sold out at Yousha Kobo, but it seems that they are moving steadily toward the “Revival of Rebel Touch.

ES products were 65%, but they are currently in the process of considering which size to start with for mass production, and are considering starting with one of the following three units.

Regarding the size of the space bar, they wanted to keep the size as it is as much as possible.

As for switches with Cherry MX-compatible rubber domes, the company appears to be “considering” selling them.

As expected, the size of the key switch is large compared to the current Cherry MX compatible key switches, so there is a high possibility of interference with keycaps and the keyboard itself,” suggesting that improvements are still needed before it can be put on the market.

If you’re going to put something on display anyway, it has to have some kind of story to make it interesting.”

He showed me this.

The company exhibited a keyboard with a key switch that is perhaps the “world’s first” with a very strange key switch that decreases pressure as it is pressed in.

The strokes themselves are short, and the actuation point is shallow. In addition, the keyswitches, with their “linear yet smooth” feel, are a new sensation, giving a strange “faster typing speed” sensation.

DIGIART (Sanyo Godo Kaisha)

The DIGIART booth featured products from NuPhy /Lofree /LeleLab.

Among the products that caught our attention was the “Dragon Scale-Dragon Scale Wrist Rest” released by LeleLab.

The exhibit is black and gold, but other coloring options are available on the official website.

The width is the same size as the 65%/75% keyboard.

There was also a reference exhibit of the new WH80 magnetic keyboard, which is currently on preorder.

This is the fourth normal-profile magnetic keyboard following Field75, Halo65HE, and BH65, and is the company’s first TKL layout for a magnetic keyboard.

The 8000 Hz polling rate, gasket mount, and new keyswitches make this a very high spec gaming keyboard.

The aluminum modeling of the top case is also used in the BH65, giving it a futuristic look.

Other exhibits included LeleLab keycaps and the Lofree FLOW2, which will soon be available in Japan.

LeleLab Keycap Review ▷▷▷

Yousha Kobo (Yousha Kobo Co., Ltd.)

At the Yousha Kobo booth, “On Any Banana Day,” which went on sale the same day, was displayed in the center of the booth.

On Any Banana Day is a keyboard developed by homebrew keyboard creator ” Ratata “.

I had paid attention to this product since it was displayed at the last Tenkey, and was surprised to see it commercialized at this time.

After all, the unique feature of this keyboard is that only the right side block is slanted 10 degrees.

According to Mr. Ratata, “When I wanted to integrate the left-right split keyboard, I placed it in a trial-and-error position, and this was the position that I felt was comfortable to type on.

It does not appear to have changed significantly from the original version, except for some changes in the case shape.

It supports only Kailh Choc v1 key switches, which have a narrower pitch than regular keyboards and may be easier to type for those with smaller hands.

The price is also inexpensive at 7,920 yen (tax included).

On Any Banana Day▷▷▷

Keychron (Kopec Japan Inc.)

This year’s Keychron booth will feature a wealth of information on new products.

Let’s look at them one at a time.

First is Nape Pro.

Let me give you a little overview.

Although only the prototype “Nape” was on display, it was enough to give us an idea of the product version.

The Nape Pro features six switches and a scroll ring.

The buttons located in the foreground are smaller than the mechanical key switches and appear to be microswitches.

It is also possible to switch from horizontal to vertical placement with a single switch, enabling cursor operation from the home position without moving the hand too much, just like a “keyball” in the context of the home-built keyboard world, regardless of where it is placed.

It’s so cool!!! #Gravity36 #NapeTrackball pic.twitter.com/uJ6ccxHvVR

– MENBOU (pocket money system) (@menbou0202) June 8, 2025

The next item of note was the Keychron Q16 HE 8K, a full ceramic keyboard that is currently undergoing crowdfunding to rave reviews.

It is a very popular product that has already been supported by more than 2,000 backers and has raised more than 80 million yen.

Many people showed interest in the Keychron Q16 HE 8K because it was on display ahead of the others.

At first glance, they look like ordinary keytops, but they are actually made entirely of ceramics.

The uniform luster of the keycaps gives each one a craft-like quality.

The stem is made of resin, which seems to have been taken into consideration to ensure that the keycaps feel comfortable to wear and are evenly inclined.

The keystroke sound is pleasant, but the keycaps themselves are not that heavy, so I had the impression that the keystroke feeling is a little stronger than with PBT keycaps.

And, amazingly, even the case is made entirely of ceramics.

The case is so precisely shaped that it is hard to believe that it was glazed and fired, and it is a wonder that there is not the slightest deviation in the holes for the switches and USB ports.

Also of interest was the Keychron B33 keyboard & BM25 mouse wireless combo, which went on sale on November 6.

The “scissor switch” mechanism is probably combined with silicone rubber to make it quieter, and the silicone rubber creates that “gunky” feeling like that of a membrane keyboard, and the so-called “external keyboard thing I always use at work” feeling is impressive. It was impressive.

HHKB (PFU Corporation)

The most eye-catching item at the PFU booth was also the HHKB Professional Classic Type-S, which will go on sale on October 21, 2025.

The so-called “Type-S” series means a key structure with excellent high-speed typing (Speed) and quietness (Silent).

Until now, there was no Type-S for the Classic Series with wired connection only, but this model has now been newly added to the lineup.

The major difference in appearance from the Hybrid would be the lack of a protruding battery case.

If you prefer a quieter design and do not anticipate wireless use, the advantage is that you can buy it for less than the flagship Hybrid model.

I personally think this is a great point, and it also makes for a cleaner appearance.

HHKB Professional Classic Type-S (Amazon) ▷▷▷▷

Other exhibits included the new color “Wisteria,” the fourth color of the Color Keytop Project, which was launched on November 6, 2025.

Up until now, we have had cherry blossoms (pink), wasabi (green), and dandelion (yellow), and now we have wisteria (purple), a coloring that personally hits the spot for me.

Another eye-catching exhibit was the walnut “Tortoise Shell Meikuri Wooden Palm Rest & Keyboard Roof” created by Matsuba Seisakusho in Hiroshima, Japan.

Also on display were wooden keytop sets (black cherry, walnut, and oak only, no maple).

LEOPOLD (LEOPOLD Corporation)

The Leopold booth displayed a prototype of a numeric keypad that it plans to sell.

There are four variations of keyswitches.

In addition to the original Linear and Silent Linear, these are Silent Linear under the name of Kailh sub-brand “Longhua” and Silent Tactile by Kailh.

One of the product’s special features is the “Numlock non-interlocking mode.

What is Numlock mode? When turned on, the built-in numeric keypad can be used to type numbers. It can be used as a cursor key or an edit key (sublegend function). On notebook PCs, when turned on, some of the keys on the main unit may become numeric, and you may not be able to type. This is no exception when using an external numeric keypad, and in some cases, the alpha key cannot be used when using the numeric keypad when “NumLock linked” is used. However, this specification differs depending on the PC manufacturer.

Therefore, when using a NumLock-linked type numeric keypad on a Windows PC that is linked to NumLock, there are cases where J/K/L/U/I/O on the main unit become numeric when NumLock is turned on, resulting in a situation where characters cannot be typed.

In such a case, if you turn on the “Numlock Disengagement Mode”, the external numeric keypad can be used as a “numeric keypad” and the alpha key can be typed without any problem.

Also, the mini desk mats looked great with the homemade keyboards.

(This is ” Futaba (Futaba )” by Giklabit, which I happened to pass by. I think this is one of the perfect all-in-one keyboards. This is really amazing. The flex-cut board and the attention to design is incredible. For more information, click here ▷▷▷)

be quiet!

Tenkey’s first participation “be quiet!” is a PC component brand established in Germany.

Originally, the company seems to have been making keyboard “hardware,” and the two keyboards on display, DARK MOUNT and LIGHT MOUNT, were created as “creator-oriented mechanical keyboards” in this context.

The release date is November 7, 2025, making it a truly debut keyboard.

Press Release｜https://www.tekwind.co.jp/BQT/information/entry_1350.php

• DARK MOUNT｜38,364 yen (tax included) ( Amazon Store )
• LIGHT MOUNT｜24,222 yen (tax included) ( Amazon Store )

Product features common to both DARK /LIGHT keyboards include quietness, short strokes, and high responsiveness.

The switch specs are as follows: both have a short total travel of 3.1 mm and a shallow actuation point of 2 mm, making them suitable for high-speed typing.

Keyswitches are 3-pin/5-pin hot-swappable, keycaps are made of PBT, and the double-shot printed area is shine-through.

The top plate and switch plate are made of aluminum, and in addition to silent switches, they have a three-layer sound-absorbing structure, so there is almost no bottoming sound, but there is no gasket mechanism, so the keystroke feel is hard.

The “DARK” model is still the most notable.

Compared to LIGHT, it is a “higher-end” version, and its greatest feature is that it is equipped with a module swapping mechanism that LIGHT does not have.

Perhaps what you are accustomed to seeing is the photo on the left.

In the photo on the right, can you see that the numeric keypad and the display on the keyboard have been swapped?

This means that the numeric keypad and display are modular and can be reconfigured to suit your own style.

It can also be used as a regular TKL keyboard, since the numeric keypad and display can be removed when not in use.

be quiet! DARK MOUNT(Amazon)▷▷▷

As for LIGHT MOUNT, the keyboard is styled as a full-size keyboard with an additional row of macro machines on the left side, and there is no modular mechanism.

I was impressed by the sales agent’s representative, who said that the target group for purchasing the product was “creators rather than gamers.

In the context of be quiet! itself, which is “a PC parts brand for home-built PCs and gamers who want quiet, high-quality PSUs, cases, coolers, and fans,” many cases would naturally be considered “gaming keyboards” as keyboards released by them.

However, looking at the specifications of DARK/LIGHT MOUNT, it is not equipped with magnetic key switches, which are becoming a must for gaming keyboards, but is a “normal keyboard” that uses the so-called conventional type of Cherry MX compatible key switches.

As for DARK, it is clearly a product for “creators” rather than “gamers,” as it is equipped with a customizable numeric keypad and a display with a control module for creators.

As for LIGHT, it seems to be a keyboard for “high-speed typists” who prefer the so-called silver axis.

summary

This is our report on the “Corporate Booth Section” of Tenkey Vol. 9.

During this year’s coverage, I had the impression that there were more members of the media participating in the press than in previous years.

Considering that there was hardly any press when I first started covering the event, it has grown to be such a high-profile event.

The keyboard area is now held three times a year, and the event is becoming even more exciting.

It’s getting interesting.