Information AboutToryanse |
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The words to the song are: Tōryanse, tōryanse Koko wa doko no hosomichi ja? Tenjin-sama no hosomichi ja Chotto tōshite kudashanse Goyō no nai mono tōshasenu Kono ko no nanatsu no oiwai ni O-fuda wo osame ni mairimasu Iki wa yoi yoi, kaeri wa kowai Kowai nagara mo Tōryanse, tōryanse Translation: Move on through, move on through What is this narrow pathway here? It's the narrow pathway of the Tenjin shrine Please allow me to pass through Those without good reason shall not pass To celebrate this child's 7th birthday I've come to dedicate my offering It's all fine on the way but returning is scary It's scary but Move on through, move on through (In the olden days when infant mortality was high, people traditionally celebrated when a child survived to reach the age of 7.) This particular warabe-uta is sung as part of a traditional game identical to "London Bridge Is Falling Down". Two children facing each other link their hands to form an arch 'checkpoint', and the remaining children walk through underneath in a line (and back round again in circles). The child who happens to be under the arch when the song finishes is then 'caught'. The tune being played at Japanese pedestrian crossings is an analogy to this game i.e. it is safe to cross until the music stops. POPULAR CULTURE Tōryanse is used in the Animatrix in the short film " Beyond ", and to creepy effect in the anime Boogiepop Phantom . EXTERNAL LINKS A "musicbox" midi file of Toryanse |
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