A performing art including circus acts brought to Japan from China in the Nara period and performed at temples and shrines. In contrast to Tōgaku and Komagaku, which were performed at the court, this was entertainment for all, courtier and commoner alike, and included a variety of acts, such as dances, magic, conjuring tricks, and acrobatics. In the Nara period, it was known as Tōsangaku, but later developed into sarugaku, which became the basis for noh and kyōgen in the middle ages.