🎎 Vintage Set of 3 Japanese Be-goma (べいごま) Spinning Tops – Baseball Giants Tribute – Japan Antique Roadshow

🎎 This rare set of three vintage Japanese spinning tops—called Be-goma (べいごま)—offers a spirited glimpse into Showa-era childhood play and baseball hero worship. Cast in iron and etched with the kanji names of three legendary Yomiuri Giants players—Nagashima Shigeo (長嶋茂雄), Kaneda Masaichi (金田正一), and Oh Sadaharu (王貞治)—these rugged little toys once clashed in playground duels across Japan.

Be-goma, the compact, high-density iron tops spun with a string whip, were not just toys but avatars in a boyhood battlefield of skill and imagination. Each child would choose a top to represent their champion and launch it into a makeshift ring, where the goal was to knock the opponent out or stay spinning the longest. The clang of metal striking metal gave rise to the nickname チンチン独楽 (Chin-chin Goma), a term that echoes the clattering sound of play.

These particular tops commemorate a golden age in Japanese baseball. The players whose names they bear were active during the 1950s–70s, and all were titans of the sport:

• Nagashima Shigeo: Known as “Mr. Giants,” a charismatic third baseman and later manager.

• Kaneda Masaichi: Japan’s winningest pitcher, famed for his blazing fastballs and competitive fire.

• Oh Sadaharu: The home run king, beloved across generations and still a cultural icon.

Together, these three players defined the heart of the Yomiuri Giants, Japan’s most storied baseball team. Their collective presence on these tops suggests a Showa-era origin—likely the 1960s or early 1970s—when these athletes were household names and playground legends.

📏 Approximate details:
• Set of 3 iron Be-goma
• Weight (total): 100 g
• Largest diameter: 3.5 cm; smallest: 2.9 cm
• Thickness: ~0.8–1 cm
• Mid-Showa period (c. 1960s–70s)
• Condition: Used but solid, with child-applied paint and surface wear from play

Curated in Shizuoka City by Kurt Bell, this nostalgic set of spinning tops offers more than entertainment—it’s a kinetic tribute to childhood imagination, fierce friendship, and the joy of shared heroes.

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