J ● T| Japanese Traditions and culture

Koma is a Japanese traditional plaything.
We play by spinning it on its axis.
The axial point running the center becomes narrow and is accompanied by a weight to balance around.

The most popular game is to compete how long each player’s koma is able to remain spinning, but there are many other ways to play.

Playing with koma is customary around New Year holidays.
However, it was got close as play of children in old days other than New Year holidays.
In Koma, size, kind, how to play vary.
You can make up your own original game using a Koma also!

There is a type that a string is a type and a finger to use and turns Koma, and to be idle.
Many folk crafts exist now.
There are type to play a sound and individual Koma to transform.

Koma came from China to Japan.
However, something like Koma has already existed in Egypt in about B.C. 1500.
It is supposed that it is the Heian era that Koma was handed down to Japan.

The old person turned Koma for a performance bearer.
It is a body quite later that general public came to play in Koma.
Koma is proud of explosive popularity as a show in Genroku Era.
The fashion was too intense, and a ban has been given several times.
But is indispensable among general public with deep-rooted popularity; played.

Koma disappeared, but popularity revived by the appearance of the bay blade afterwards!

The thing which is major in Koma is two mainly.

bei-Goma.
A kind of Koma which caused an explosive boom in Japan from the Taisho era to the Showa era.
There are various kinds in Bei-Goma.
It is iron and plays using a string.
I throw up mawashi, Bei-Goma of the partner after having put cloth on the barrel.
The one that let Koma leave till the last is a victory.
The point of the victory coordinate winding and weight.
And a thing with Bei-Goma as a modern version is a bay blade.
I can easily turn the bay blade without using the string!
It is easy, and a beginner is easy to enjoy the adjustment of the weight.

Earth Koma.
It is called Chikyu-Goma in Japanese.
This is Koma which showed the earth according to the name.
It is Koma which can explain structure of the rotation and the orbital motion of the earth.
Earth Koma is made with Nagoya.
Appeared; impostors were sold at first, and the troubles occurred frequently, too.
It is based on the principle of the gyroscope.
I was used for the teaching materials in those days.
It is valuable Koma which I can see now in some shops including Tokyu Hands.
Earth Koma turns it on a finger and can do it.
I can enjoy how to play unlike Koma normal.

What would the prostitute’s man-attendant of Koma do? ?

Koma can simplify the type to turn with a finger.
It is two kinds to say that I catch an axle part with a method and both hands to twist commonly at a finger-tip and turn it.
The direction just as wanted can turn it if I practice a little.
The type to turn using a string in comparison with it is difficult.

A method to become the basics when I turn it with a string.

1. A method to wind a string around Koma directly, and to fly away.

2. A method to wind a string around an axle, and to turn.

It is a premise to use a big string to turn this type of Koma well.
End restrictions is important, too.
It does not rotate with underrotated when I do not wind it hard well.
When I incline, posture and how to throw have a problem.
I will practice many times.

I want to play in Koma! ↓

A garden (Sakuracho, Koganei-shi, Tokyo) of the Edo Tokyo length.
I can experience the play that was popular in the Edo era.
Event information is varied.