Surprise Box - Surprise Box

A toy (gangu) in which a doll or other object suddenly pops out of a box using a spring mechanism when the lid is opened. Around 1892 (Meiji 25), a toy became popular in which masks of the Seven Lucky Gods or Tengu were made out of tissue paper, the bottom of the mask was attached to a small board and kneaded to shrink, and when the bottom of the mask was blown into, a long head of Fukurokuju (a god of longevity) about 30 centimeters long suddenly appeared. It is said to have been invented by a certain Edo geisha (hokan) around the end of the Edo period. Later, improvements were made to the toy, and a cloth snake or strange animal was placed inside a small box covered with Western cloth, and when the lid was opened, the snake would pop out with force due to the action of a spring. In the Meiji period, a toy in which a chick would pop out of an egg was sold as an educational toy. In 1915 (Taisho 4), a toy with a spring inside the box appeared. In the Showa era, it became popular again, and various types appeared, from children's toys to prank toys for adults. Recently, there is a magic type version in which a spring-loaded snake pops out when several boxes are opened one by one. In the West, there is a similar toy called Jack in the box.

[Ryosuke Saito]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

箱の蓋(ふた)を開くと突然人形などがばね仕掛けで飛び出す玩具(がんぐ)。1892年（明治25）ごろ、薄紙で七福神や天狗(てんぐ)の面などをつくって、下の口を小板に張り付けてもみ縮め、下の口を吹くと、突然30センチメートルほどの福禄寿(ふくろくじゅ)の長頭が出るものが流行した。幕末のころ江戸の幇間(ほうかん)某の創案したものといわれる。その後改良が加えられて、洋布張りの小箱の中に、布製の蛇(へび)や奇怪な動物類を押し縮めて入れておき、箱の蓋を開けると、ばねの作用でそれらが勢いよく飛び出すものが現れた。明治時代には、卵からひよこが飛び出すものが教育玩具として売り出されたこともある。1915年（大正4）には、箱の内部にぜんまいを仕掛けたものが登場した。昭和時代に入るとふたたび流行期を迎えて、子供の玩具から、大人の座興のいたずら玩具まで各種のものが出現。最近は、数個の箱を一つずつ開けていくと、中からばねの利いた蛇が飛び出す手品式のものもある。欧米にもJack in the boxとよぶ同様な玩具がある。

［斎藤良輔］

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