Tōryanse

Memorial stone with lyrics by Tōryanse at the Yamakaku-Tenjin-sha shrine in Odawara , which sees itself as the place of origin of the text

Tōryanse ( Japanese 通 り ゃ ん せ ) is a traditional Japanese nursery rhyme ( warabe-uta ).

The song is by its nature a nursery rhyme from the Edo period . It is part of a Singspiel, which consists of two children facing each other forming an arch with their hands raised and touching each other, through which other children walk while the song is being sung. When the song suddenly stops, the hands are lowered and the child passing through is trapped underneath. It is similar to the game that is played in English-speaking countries for London Bridge is Falling Down .

The song is also known in Japan for the fact that it is used as an acoustic signal at traffic lights to indicate to pedestrians that they are allowed to cross the street. In this function as a signal song it was selected in 1975 - next to Kokyō no Sora ( 故 郷 の 空 ), which uses the melody of the Scottish folk song Comin 'Thro' the Rye .

In 2007, the Office for Cultural Affairs, in cooperation with the umbrella organization of parent representatives ( 日本 PTA 全国 協議 会 Nihon PTA Zenkoku Kyōgikai ) compiled a selection of 100 songs that are sung by children and parents. It was Tōryanse taken place 63rd

song lyrics

Japanese	transcription	translation
通りゃんせ通りゃんせ 此処は何処の細道じゃ 天神さまの細道じゃ ちっと通して下しゃんせ 御用のない者通しゃせぬ この子の七つのお祝いに お札を納めに参ります 行きはよいよい帰りは恐い 恐いながらも 通 り ゃ ん せ 通 り ゃ ん せ	tooryanse tooryanse koko wa doko no hosomichi ja tenjin-sama no hosomichi ja chitto tooshite kudashanse goyō no naimono tooshasenu kono ko no nanatsu no oiwai ni ofuda o osame ni mairimasu iki wa yoi yoi, kaeroryai wa kowagai tooryai wa kowan	Let me through, let me through! Where does this narrow path lead? It is the narrow path of Tenjin- sama (temple god). Please let me through. Nobody is allowed through without a concern. It's in celebration for this seven year old child. I want to visit the shrine for a talisman. The way there is easy, easy, but the way back is scary. Even if it's creepy, go through, go through.

The text, which is written in Edo-period Japanese, depicts a conversation with a guard and is about the journey of a seven-year-old child accompanied by a Shinto shrine consecrated to Tenjin . On the way they have to go through a sentry where they will be asked where they are going and then told that they can go through ( tōryanse ) but there is a narrow, terrifying path ahead of them and the way back will be difficult.

The purpose of the trip is the 7-5-3 festival , which takes place every November and stipulates that mothers and their girls, who will be seven years old in that year, travel to an appropriate shrine in order to find out about the high child mortality to thank the gods for the fact that the child has safely survived this difficult phase, and served as a rite of passage .

Usually the Miyoshino shrine is assumed to be the destination, which is located within the enclosure of the Kawagoe Castle , which means that you had to enter the castle for its 7-5-3 festival. This means that the origin of the text is also located in Kawagoe .

Sometimes a second stanza is also given, which probably goes back to the manga Onikirimaru (1992-2001) by Kei Kusunoki. This is based on the text and content of the first, but deals with the fact that the child has died, the mother is on her way to the funeral mass and the guard tells her that this is the narrow path to the underworld:

Japanese	transcription	translation
通りゃんせ通りゃんせ ここは冥府の細道じゃ 鬼神様の細道じゃ ちっと通して下しゃんせ 贄(にえす)のないもの通しゃせぬ この子の七つの弔いに 供養を頼みに参ります 生きはよいよい還りはこ わ い こ わ い な が ら も と お り ゃ ん せ と お り ゃ ん せ	tooryanse tooryanse koko wa Meifu no Hosomichi yes onigami-sama no Hosomichi yes chitto tooshite kudashanse niesu no naimono tooshasenu kono ko no nanatsu no tomurai ni kuyou where tanomi ni mairimasu iki wa yoi yoi kaeri wa kowai kowai nagara mo tooryanse tooryanse	Let me through, let me through! This is the narrow path, the realm of the dead. It is the narrow path of onigami-sama (god of the realm of the dead). Please let me through! Nobody is allowed through without sacrifice. It's at the funeral for this seven year old kid. I want to come for the final tribute. The way there is easy, easy but the return is scary. Even if he's creepy , go through, go through.

melody

The most famous melody of the text is the following:

It was given to the nursery rhyme in 1921 by Motoori Nagayo , who also arranged the piece. The melody uses a hexatonic scale.

Web links

• Tōryanse sungon YouTube by the Nihon Victor Records Children's Choir

Individual evidence

1. ↑ 通 り ゃ ん せ . In: 世界 大 百科 事 典 第 ２ 版 at kotobank.jp. Retrieved May 11, 2013 (Japanese).  
2. ^ ^{A b c d} John Billingsley: Dangerous Crossing. (No longer available online.) In: ForteanTimes. January 2011, archived from the original on April 3, 2013 ; accessed on May 11, 2013 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.   
3. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} 唱歌 の こ と ば 今 こ こ に 「通 り ゃ ん せ」 . (No longer available online.) In: Tama New Town Times. November 1, 2007, archived from the original on June 21, 2015 ; Retrieved May 11, 2013 (Japanese). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.   
4. ↑ 親子 で 歌 い つ ご う 日本 の 歌 百 選 . Bunka-chō , 2007, archived from the original on March 6, 2015 ; Retrieved May 13, 2013 (Japanese). 
5. ↑ 石川浩 子 、 増 田博子 、 吉 村 真 実 : わ ら べ う た に つ い て . In: 国際 学院 埼 玉 短期 大学 ・ 卒業 研究 論文 抄録 集 !! . Archived from the original on July 8, 2007 ; Retrieved June 18, 2017 (Japanese). 
6. ↑ 三 芳 野 神社 . (No longer available online.) Kawagoe, archived from the original on August 13, 2013 ; Retrieved May 11, 2013 (Japanese). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.   
7. ↑ と お り ゃ ん せ . In: ニ コ ニ コ 大 百科 . Retrieved June 18, 2017 (Japanese). 
8. ↑ 12. 通 り ゃ ん せ . In: 今日 の 指導 は 関 西 出身 の 威勢 の い い 酒井 先生 と 、 新人 の 畑 中 先生 . Retrieved June 18, 2017 (Japanese). 
9. ↑ ^{a b} Patricia Shehan Campbell, Sue Williamson, Pierre Perron: Traditional Songs of Singing Cultures: A World Sampler . Alfred Music, ISBN 1-57623-496-7 , pp. 36–37 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
10. ↑ 通 り ゃ ん せ . In: デ ジ タ ル 大 辞 泉 プ ラ ス at kotobank.jp. Retrieved May 11, 2013 (Japanese).