Stone-lobster - Stone-lobster

Japanese: 石なご - いしなご

…Although “Otedama” is the common name throughout Japan, more than 150 other names have been confirmed. In the olden days, this game was also called “Ishinago” or “Ishinadori”. In the “Wamyo-sho”, it is written as “Ishinago (Throwing Stone) Japanese name is no Nasuke, commonly called Ishinago”. In the “Eiga Monogatari”, it is written as “Ishinadori (Stone-taking)” in the “Ryōjin Hishō”, and in the “Ruishū Meibutsu Ko”, it is written as “Ishinatori Ishinagoto or Ishi-totori?”. And in the “Kiyū Shōran”, it is written as “Ishinatori must be the Tedama we now call it”, and in the “Butsurui Shoko”, it is written as “Ishinago (Stone-throwing) is called Tedama in Edo”, so it is known that Otedama was a name used in the Edo period and was mainly used in Edo. …

From [Kurag]

…By this time, the game had evolved to involve guessing the number of pebbles or beans held in one's hand. The theory that the name comes from the meaning of "how many" or that it is an abbreviation of "ishi-nago" (stone-shaped stone), probably derives from this way of playing. It was also played as a gambling game, with players competing for odds of winning or losing. …

*Some of the terminology explanations that mention "Ishinago" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

Japanese:

…〈おてだま〉が全国的通称であるが，150以上の別称が確認されている。古くは〈いしなご〉〈いしなどり〉とも呼ばれた遊びである。《和名抄》に〈擲石〉とあり，これについて《和漢三才図会》は〈擲石（いしなご）　和名以之奈介　俗云石奈古〉と記している。《栄華物語》に〈いしなどり〉，《梁塵秘抄》に〈石取り（いしなどり）〉，《類聚名物考》には〈いしなとりいしなごとり又石投取歟〉とある。そして《嬉遊笑覧》に〈いしなとりは今いふ手玉なるべし〉，《物類称呼》にも〈石投（いしなご）江戸にて手玉といふ〉とあれば，お手玉は江戸期になり，江戸を中心とした名称であったことが知られる。…