Turtle Play - Kameshibai

...The programs included sumo wrestling with three dwarves, hand dancing, elephant crossing the stakes, riding the sanpo, riding the goban, ceremonies, trumpet blowing, and resting on one's back. Also, from the early Meiji period, Western dog plays became popular, and at the time they were called turtle plays. This is said to have come from the fact that foreigners would call their pet dogs "come here," and when they heard "kameya," they misunderstood Western dogs to mean turtles. ...

*Some of the terminology that refers to "Kame Shibai" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…演目は小人（こびと）3人の相撲･手踊，象の乱杭渡り･三宝乗り･碁盤乗り･礼式･らっぱ吹分け･あおむけの休息などであった。また明治初期から洋犬芝居がはやりだし，当時これをカメ芝居といった。外国人が飼犬を呼ぶのに〈カム･ヒアcome here〉といったのを，〈カメや〉と聞いて，洋犬＝カメと誤解したことによるものらしい。…

※「カメ芝居」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報