Curved Sesame - Kyokugoma

Japanese: 曲ごま - きょくごま

… Tops were all the rage in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries, and in Japan they also became popular during the Genroku period (1688-1704), when many different types were made and were often banned. Although tops were also widely played with by adults, by the end of the Edo period, with the exception of curved tops, they had become entirely children's toys and dominated boys' play. However, they rapidly declined after World War II, and today their survival as a pastime is in doubt. …

From Matsui Spring Water

...Also written as Gensui. Street performer, incense maker. By the Showa period, there were 17 generations of the Matsui family. Gencho, the founder of the Matsui family, was from Tonami, Etchu, and created the miraculous medicine Hangontan. During the time of the second Dosan, he moved to Fukuromachi, Toyama, and received a red seal from Takeda Shingen to allow him to sell medicine. Around the Enpo and Tenna periods (1673-84), the fourth Gensui went to Edo and began selling Hangontan. To promote and sell the medicine, he performed acrobatics using various types of box pillows (makuragaeshi) and iaido (wielding swords). Around the Kyoho period (1716-36), in addition to iaido, he began to perform kiyokugoma (tops), and when Shogun Ieshige visited Senso-ji Temple, he presented his performances to the Shogun and received a talisman for visiting the temple. ...

From [Show]

...A temporary entertainment event held in the precincts of a temple or shrine, showcasing entertainment and various unusual things, and charging an admission fee.
[History of shows in Japan]
Spectacles began as street performances such as picture explanations and sermons, which were held under the pretext of fundraising, and tent-based performances such as Houka and Kumomai (acrobatics) can be said to have begun in the Muromachi period, but they did not reach their peak until the Edo period. Performances were popular in Shijogawara in Kyoto, Dotonbori and Namba-Shinchi in Osaka, Osu in Nagoya, Ryogoku, Ueno Hirokoji, and Asakusa Okuyama in Edo, and in the Meiji period, Asakusa Park Roku-ku and the grounds of Shokonsha (now Yasukuni Shrine) became famous performance locations.

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

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

Japanese:

…　18～19世紀，ヨーロッパではこまが大流行したが，日本でも元禄年間(1688‐1704)にこまがはやり，さまざまなものが作られ，禁令もたびたび出された。おとなにも盛んに遊ばれてきたこまは，幕末になると，曲ごまを除いて完全に子どもの玩具となり，男子遊びの主流をしめる。しかし，第2次世界大戦を境に急速に衰退し，現在ではその遊事生命をあやぶまれている。…

【松井源水】より

…玄水とも書く。大道芸人，香具師（やし）。昭和期までに17代を数える。松井家の元祖玄長は，越中礪(砺)波（となみ）の出身で，霊薬反魂丹（はんごんたん）を創製し，2代目道三のときに富山袋町に移住して，武田信玄から売薬御免の朱印を受けた。延宝･天和(1673‐84)のころに，4代目玄水が江戸へ出て反魂丹を売りはじめたが，その宣伝，販売のために，箱枕をいろいろと扱う曲芸〈枕返し〉や居合抜きなどを演じた。享保(1716‐36)ごろには，居合抜きのほか曲独楽（きよくごま）(独楽)を演ずるようになり，将軍家重の浅草寺参詣のおりには上覧に供して御成（おなり）御用の符を拝領した。…

【見世物】より

…寺社の境内や盛場で，臨時に小屋掛けして，芸能および種々珍奇なものを見せて入場料をとる興行物のこと。
【日本における見世物の歴史】
　見世物は勧進を名目にした絵解き，説経などの大道芸にはじまり，小屋掛けの興行は，放下（ほうか）や蜘舞（くもまい）(軽業（かるわざ）)など室町時代にはじまるといってよいが，盛行をきわめたのは江戸時代に入ってからである。京都では四条河原，大坂では道頓堀や難波新地，名古屋では大須，江戸では両国，上野広小路，浅草奥山などで盛んに興行され，明治時代になってからは浅草公園六区や招魂社(現，靖国神社)境内などが興行地として名高かった。…

※「曲ごま」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

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