扇を投げて的を落とす、優雅な日本の伝統遊戯「投扇興」。
その響きから平安王朝の雅やかさを想起される方も多いかもしれませんが、実はこの遊びが生まれたのは江戸時代。町人文化が花開いた頃、京都や大阪を中心に、庶民の間で流行した“風雅な遊び”です。
庶民から生まれた優雅な遊び、投扇興。
イメージとしては平安王朝的な雅を感じさせ、古いゲーム と思っている人もいるようですが、実は江戸時代に庶民か ら起こり、庶民の間で流行った遊びです。 台の上に蝶と呼ぶいちょう形の的を立て、１メートルほど 離れた所にすわり、開いた扇を投げてこれを落とし、扇 と的の落ちた形を源氏54 帖になぞらえた図式に照らして 採点し、優劣を競います。 源氏物語形式の他にも、百人 一首形式など全国にさまざまな遊び方があります。
安永2 年（1773）の「投扇興図式」の序によると、投 扇興は京都に起こったものと伝えられています。別の「武 江年表」という文献には大阪発祥とする説もあります。 そ して、この遊びの発想の根元は、中国から伝来した投壺 （とうこ、つぼうち）という遊戯だといわれています。
English｜Column: Tōsenkyō
Tōsenkyō — An Elegant Game Born Among the People
Tōsenkyō is often imagined as a refined pastime of the aristocracy, evoking the elegance of the Heian court. However, contrary to this image, it is a traditional Japanese game that originated among common people during the Edo period and became widely enjoyed by them.
The game is played by placing a ginkgo-leaf-shaped target, known as a chō (butterfly), on a small stand. From a seated position about one meter away, players throw an opened folding fan toward the target. Points are awarded based on the way the fan and the target fall, according to established scoring patterns. Many of these patterns are named after the fifty-four chapters of The Tale of Genji, adding a literary dimension to the game.
In addition to the Genji-based system, there are regional variations throughout Japan, including styles inspired by Hyakunin Isshu (the One Hundred Poets).
According to the preface of “Tōsenkyō Zusiki” (1773, An’ei 2), the origins of Tōsenkyō are said to lie in Kyoto. However, another historical record, “Bue Nenpyō,” suggests that the game may have originated in Osaka.
It is also believed that the fundamental concept of Tōsenkyō was influenced by tóuhú—an ancient Chinese throwing game in which objects are cast into a vessel.
Today, Tōsenkyō is appreciated not only as a game, but as a cultural practice that brings together craftsmanship, literature, and the playful spirit of everyday people in Japan’s past.
コメント