Spinning top game

Spinning tops in Japan have a long history: early beigoma used the bai shell filled with sand and wax; metal cast beigoma became the standard in the twentieth century and a childhood staple in the Shitamachi districts of Tokyo. Launched with a wound cord onto a canvas stretched over a bucket, beigoma are battled until one top stops or is knocked out. By the 1980s the craft had nearly died—one Sumida factory remained—but the release of Beyblade in 1999 by Takara (now Takara Tomy) revived interest in spinning-top battles. Today beigoma survives through school clubs, the Beigoma World Cup, and the work of living craftsmen who teach the winding and launch techniques. The game sits at the intersection of working-class Tokyo culture, traditional craft, and the global Beyblade franchise that it inspired. Winding direction and cord length affect spin; sandpapering the base improves grip. The Beigoma World Cup draws competitors from Saitama, Tokyo, and beyond. Craftsman Kōji Tashiro and others run workshops to preserve the tradition. Each entry below includes full rules, history, and where to find tops or learn the craft.