Koma (Tops)

There are many types of koma—those spun with the fingers (hinerigoma), with the palms of the hands (temomigoma), by pulling a cord (itohikigoma), by throwing the top using a cord wrapped around it (nagegoma), and others. The kind often introduced as a traditional toy is the “throw top” (nagegoma). Some are made of wood, and some of cast metal (beigoma).

Beigoma are steel tops that have no stem. They are spun by throwing with a string about sixty centimeters long wound around the base. One game is played by spreading a sheet over the bottom of a barrel and pressing it down in the middle to create a playing surface, on which two players spin their respective tops until one flicks the other off the surface. It is difficult to wind the string tightly since the top has no stem, and spinning the beigoma requires considerable skill.

It is said that koma came to Japan from China, but the details are unknown. Koma were already popular among the common people in the Kamakura period (1192-1333), but it was during the Edo period that they flourished. The best known were the beigoma made by filling whelk shells with sand or lead and then sealed with wax. This was the beginning of the beigoma. The production of beigoma we now know, made by pouring steel into moulds, started in the late Meiji to mid-Taisho periods. Beigoma etched with the names of professional baseball players and sumo wrestlers were very popular among children in the shitamachi (“low city”) area of Tokyo from the 1920s to the early 1930s. Since steel was collected during World War II for the war effort, beigoma during that time were made of china or glass instead.

After World War II, from 1945 to the early 1960s, beigoma was the most common game among children. There were many factories manufacturing beigoma, but today, there is only one left in Kawaguchi, Saitama prefecture. Still, there are many beigoma fans, and every week, competitions, both large and small, take place in parks and various other locations

Later in the 17th century, Hakata koma was made with wooden base and an inserted iron core as a spindle. Different from other top toys, Hakata koma spins very well with very little deflection and it is steady enough to be picked up on your palm and keep moving. Making use of these features, acrobatics of Hakata koma performance was developed and later spread throughout the country.

The most basic part about making them is choosing the wood. If the wood is chosen wrongly, the grain and the density are wrong. Tops are not made from expensive wood, they are made from scrub. Oak, cherry, camellia, and other trees like that are often used to make those tops. The performance of the top depends on the type of wood used. For example, in order for the top to spin well, a denser wood is needed.

Performers and acrobatics usually make their own tops. This is because different hands are of different shapes and sizes. A perfect top is needed to fit the size and shape of their hands. It is natural that a performer would want just the right top so that they can do their best when performing.