Enchu Nori (円柱乗) was primarily a First Stage obstacle in KUNOICHI; however it was moved into the Second Stage for the course redesign in KUNOICHI 2009. This obstacle was most likely inspired by the Takeshi's Castle's game Single Roller, and also served as somewhat of a precursor to SASUKE's Balance Tank. The obstacle itself was preceded by the Rolling Panic from the single-stage version of KUNOICHI that had been in the 1999 and 2000 tournaments prior.
Competitors had to step onto a long cylindrical barrel, about two meters long, and balance on it as it rolled down a track.
This obstacle was considered very similar and arguably more difficult than the Balance Tank given that the obstacle was more rounded and had a much longer track. It is one of KUNOICHI's most iconic obstacles, and along with the Daichōyaku are the only KUNOICHI obstacles to appear in the first eight tournaments.
First Version (KUNOICHI 2001-2002)[]
Yamada Miho attempting the Enchu Nori in KUNOICHI 2001
The first version of Enchu Nori began on a track that was roughly at a five degree angle, and was roughly five meters long.
This version of Enchu Nori was arguably the trickiest, as some competitors could start the obstacle going at a faster pace but have a higher risk of failure, while others could opt to go slower, draining their time away. In KUNOICHI 2002, there was an interesting incident, in which a competitor dragged the towel by her leg before attempted this obstacle, made she slipped and fell into the water[1].
The first version of the obstacle also seemed to have a rule about using your hands. This allowed competitors to use their hands to get the obstacle started however once they had the obstacle started they could no longer use their hands, and doing so disqualified them.
Second Version (KUNOICHI 2003-2004)[]
The second version of Enchu Nori was roughly the same as the first, however it appeared that the track was shorted a tad, and the degree of the track was slightly decreased in an attempt to tone down the course.
Despite this, producers no longer allowed the competitors to use their hands at all, as doing so would disqualify them. In it's first four tournaments many competitors never fully completed the obstacle, as many that were on the verge of failing tried to jump to the mats on the other side. This had about a fifty-fifty result, about half that did this cleared, and half didn't.
Third Version (KUNOICHI 2006 New Year-2009)[]
After Miyake Ayako's kanzenseiha in KUNOICHI 2004 the producers decided to modify Enchu Nori and make it more difficult. They took notice how many competitors would skip the second half of the obstacle in prior tournaments, and modified the track to be roughly five degrees steeper than prior incarnations, bringing it's steepness to about ten degrees. This sped up the obstacle, and proved to be much more deadly as it forced competitors to do most of the obstacle.
Unlike it's predecessor, this version saw competitors flip off of the obstacle, and prevented many top competitors such as Nishimura Chie in KUNOICHI 2006 Summer from clearing the First Stage. It proved to be very deadly in it's first tournament, as it's estimated no more than twenty people advanced past it.
It was eventually moved to the Second Stage in KUNOICHI 2009 due to the format change, and was ultimately removed for the course reboot in KUNOICHI 2017 Spring.
Competitors' Success Rate[]
| KUNIOCHI | Clears | Attempts | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 35 | 54 | 64.81% |
| 2002 | 8 | 21 | 38.10% |
| 2003 | 24 | 38 | 63.16% |
| 2004 | 23 | 30 | 76.66% |
| 2006 New Year | 13 | 33 | 39.39% |
| 2006 Summer | 15 | 22 | 68.18% |
| 2007 | 11 | ||
| 2009 | 8 | 13 | 61.54% |
| Total |