Nankin Tamasudare Facts for Kids

Katsumi Asaba performs Nankin Tamasudare

A commercially packaged Nankin Tamasudare set

Nankin tamasudare (南京玉簾 or 南京玉すだれ, Nankin-tamasudare, lit. "Nanjing Lily") is a kind of traditional Japanese street performance. The name "Nankin tamasudare" is a play on words, as it can mean a kind of flower, as well as mean something like "a wondrous woven screen" (sudare is a kind of screen made by weaving straw with twine.)

The performance consists of a person skilled in manipulating special screens made of loosely woven sticks, as well as chanting an accompanying kind of poetry. The performer chants a rhythmic poem as he or she uses the screen to portray the objects in the poetry without stopping. The screen is twisted, folded, extended, etc., in many different ways to portray an object, and then brought back quickly to its original screen shape. The chant usually ends with a pun: kaeru nai has the double meaning that there is no frog (カエル, kaeru) under the willow tree, and the willow tree figure cannot return (帰る, kaeru) easily to the original shape. The story ends with the willow tree figure, with the performer slowly packing up the mat after the performance.

Nankin tamasudare is said to have been a popular form of entertainment that began in the Edo period. Today, it is sometimes performed at Japanese cultural festivals.

Chant

There are many variations of lyrics used for the performance, but below is a set that one might hear when observing a performance. The reference to Tokyo Tower, built in 1958, is a modern addition.

Japanese	Rōmaji	Translation
アさて　アさてアさて　さて　さて　さてさては南京玉すだれチョイと伸ばせば浦島太郎さんの魚釣り竿にチョイと似たり浦島太郎さんの魚釣り竿がお目にとまればおなぐさみお目にとまれば元へと返す元へと返すアさて　アさてさては南京玉すだれチョイと返せば瀬田の唐橋唐金擬宝珠擬宝珠ないのがおなぐさみ瀬田の唐橋お目にとまれば元へと返す元へと返すアさて　アさてさては南京玉すだれチョイと伸ばせばチョイと返せばおらが在所のご門でござるおらの在所ご門がお目にとまれば炭焼き小屋へと早変わり炭焼き小屋がお目にとまれば元へと返す元へと返すアさて　アさてさては南京玉すだれ東海道は五十と三次中山道は六十と九次あまたの宿々なくてならぬは蕎麦屋の看板蕎麦屋の看板お目にとまれば元へと返す元へと返すアさて　アさてさては南京玉すだれチョイと返せばチョイと伸ばせば端午の節句は鯉ののぼりにさも似たり五月の鯉がお目にとまれば東京タワーと早変わり東京タワーがお目にとまれば元へと返す元へと返すアさて　アさてさては南京玉すだれチョイと伸ばせば阿弥陀如来か釈迦牟尼か後光が見えればおなぐさみ阿弥陀如来がお目にとまれば元へと返す元へと返すアさて　アさてさては南京玉すだれチョイと伸ばせばチョイと返せば日本三景天橋立浮かぶ白帆にさも似たり浮かぶ白帆がお目にとまれば元へと返す元へと返すアさて　アさてさては南京玉すだれチョイと返せば日米国旗にさも似たり日米国旗がお目にとまればしだれ柳に早変わりしだれ柳に飛びつく蛙蛙いないがおなぐさみアさて　アさてアさて　さて　さて　さてアさて　アさて　さては南京玉すだれ	a-sate, a-sate a-sate, sate, sate, sate sate wa Nankin Tamasudare choito nobaseba urashimatarō-san no sakana tsurizao ni choito nitari urashimatarō-san no sakana tsurizao ga ome ni tomareba onagusami ome ni tomareba moto e to kaesu moto e to kaesu a-sate, a-sate sate wa Nankin Tamasudare choito kaeseba seta no karahashi Tōkin giboshi giboshi nai noga onagusami seta no karahashi ome ni tomareba moto e to kaesu moto e to kaesu a-sate, a-sate sate wa Nankin Tamasudare choito nobaseba choito kaeseba ora ga zaisho no gomon de gozaru ora no zaisho no gomon ga ome ni tomareba sumiyaki koya he to hayagawari sumiyaki koya ga ome ni tomareba moto e to kaesu moto e to kaesu a-sate, a-sate sate wa Nankin Tamasudare tōkaidō wa goju to santsugi nakasendo wa rokuju to kutsugi amata no yadoyado nakutenaranu wa sobaya no kanban sobaya no kanban ome ni tomareba moto e to kaesu moto e to kaesu a-sate, a-sate sate wa Nankin Tamasudare choito kaeseba choito nobaseba tango no sekku wa koi no nobori ni samo nitari gogatsu no koi ga ome in tomareba Tōkyō Tawā to hayagawari Tōkyō Tawā ga ome ni tomareba moto e to kaesu moto e to kaesu a-sate, a-sate sate wa Nankin Tamasudare choito nobaseba amida nyorai ka shakamuni ka gokō ga miereba onagusami amida nyorai ga ome ni tomareba moto e to kaesu moto e to kaesu a-sate, a-sate sate wa Nankin Tamasudare choito nobaseba choito kaeseba nihon sankei ama no hashidate ukabu shiraho ni samo nitari ukabu shiraho ga ome in tomareba moto e to kaesu moto e to kaesu a-sate, a-sate sate wa Nankin Tamasudare choito kaeseba nichibei kokki ni samo nitari nichibei kokki ga ome ni tomareba shidare yanagi ni hayagawari shidare yanagi ni tobitsuku kaeru kaeru inai ga onagusami a-sate, a-sate a-sate, sate, sate, sate a-sate, a-sate, sate wa Nankin Tamasudare	Hurry, hurry hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry Hurry, it's the Nanjing Woven Screen Extend it just a little and it looks a bit like Urashima Tarō's fishing rod! Finding Urashima Tarō's fishing rod is sure to amuse. Once you see the rod, the screen regains its shape, regains its former shape Hurry, hurry Hurry, it's the Nanjing Woven Screen Turn it in a bit It's the Chinese bridge of Seta! As for bronze post tops, Here there are no ornamental post tops. The Chinese bridge of Seta! After you recognize it, the screen regains its shape, regains its former shape Hurry, hurry Hurry, it's the Nanjing Woven Screen! Extend it just a bit flip it just a bit Look, it's the gate... the gate to my house! Once you see the gate, the gate to my house, A quick gesture and... the front gate becomes a charcoal-making shed! Once you take a gander at the charcoal-making shed, the screen regains its shape, regains its former shape Hurry, hurry Hurry, it's the Nanjing Woven Screen There are fifty-three stations along the Tōkaidō and sixty-nine stations along the Nakasendō. Not all the buildings are traveling inns to stay. See the sign to a buckwheat noodle shop. Notice the sign and the screen regains its shape regains its former shape Hurry, hurry Hurry, it's the Nanjing Woven Screen Turn it 'round a bit Stretch it out a bit And it looks somewhat like a flying carp at Boy's Day! Once you take a gander at the flying carp of May A flick of the wrist and look, it's Tokyo Tower! Once you catch a glimpse of wondrous Tokyo Tower, the screen regains its shape, regains its former shape Hurry, hurry Hurry, it's the Nanjing Woven Screen Stretch it out a bit... Is it the Amitābha Buddha, Or is it Śākyamuni? See the shimmering halo? what a delightful sight! Once you see the halo shining 'round the Buddha, the screen regains its shape, regains its former shape Hurry, hurry Hurry, it's the Nanjing Woven Screen Stretch it out a bit Turn it in a bit It looks somewhat like A white floating sail along the Bridge to Heaven one of Japan's Three Greatest Sights Once you can see the white floating sail, the screen regains its shape, regains its former shape Hurry, hurry Hurry, it's the Nanjing Woven Screen Turn it just a bit It looks somewhat like the flags of US and Japan Once you see the flags of US and Japan A quick change and it's a weeping willow In the weeping willow there is no leaping frog There is no frog. / It doesn't regain its former shape. (Double entendre) Entertaining, isn't it! Hurry, hurry hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry Hurry, it's the Nanjing Woven Screen

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Nankin Tamasudare facts for kids

Chant