Thursday, December 2, 2010

The god of the toilet/ トイレの神様 -- A popular song in Japan

In Japan, the song tittled トイレの神様/ the god of the toilet has been popular.I've heard that this song was broadcast on the radio in February this year, which triggered the song's success. Recently, it has become very popular. This is partially because this way of gaining popularity is unusual and partially because it was recently announced that the 27-year-old singer, Kana Uemura/植村花菜, would appear on the very popular TV show, Red and White Singing contest /紅白歌合戦, held on the 31st of December every year. The lyrics were written by the singer, based on her experiences.

According to a TV show, the song has helped many people sort out their feelings about their deceased grandparents. This is largely because many people regret that they never showed their gratitude to their grandparents even though they already realized that they had affection or their grandparents when they were still alive. I'll translate these lyrics into English. Some translations will be general, in order to convey various nuances. Also, some parts of the lyrics are written in the Osaka dialect.

小3の頃からなぜだか
おばあちゃんと暮らしてた
実家の隣だったけど
おばあちゃんと暮らしてた

When I was the third grade of elementary school, I started living with my grandma. I don't know why. 
Although her house was next to my parents' house, I lived with her.


毎日お手伝いをして
五目並べもした
でもトイレ掃除だけ苦手な私に
おばあちゃんがこう言った

Every day, I would help grandma.
I would play the game called 五目並べ/Gomoku-narabe with her (*Note: The game is played with a go board. Playing go is difficult for ordinary people, especially children, but the game is enjoyable for everybody).
I was bad at cleaning the toilet at home.
My grandma noticed that and said to me.


トイレには それはそれはキレイな
女神様がいるんやで
だから毎日 キレイにしたら 女神様みたいに
べっぴんさんになれるんやで

"There is a female god in the toilet. How beautiful she is.
So, if you cleaned the toilet at home every day, you would be able to become very beautiful like the female god"


その日から私はトイレを
ピカピカにし始めた
べっぴんさんに絶対なりたくて
毎日磨いてた

From that day, I started scouring the toilet.
I really wanted to become beautiful, so I would polish the toilet every day.


買い物に出かけた時には 二人で鴨なんば食べた
新喜劇録画し損ねたおばあちゃんを
泣いて責めたりもした

When I went out for shopping with my grandma, she took me to a Japanese restaurant to eat Kamo-nanba Udon (Udon means Japanese noodle).
I asked her to record the very popular TV show in the Kansai area, 吉本新喜劇/Yoshimoto-shinkigeki.
When it turned out that she had failed to record it, I blamed her while I was crying. 


トイレには それはそれはキレイな
女神様がいるんやで
だから毎日 キレイにしたら 女神様みたいに
べっぴんさんになれるんやで

There is a female god in the toilet. How beautiful she is.
So, if you cleaned the toilet at home every day, you would be able to become very beautiful like the female god.
*Note: This part is repeated a few times in the song. I guess that this is because this phrase is the most impressive for the singer.

少し大人になった私は おばあちゃんとぶつかった
家族ともうまくやれなくて 居場所がなくなった

When I grew up a little, I started kicking against my grandma.
I wasn't able to get along with my other family members, neither.
So, I lost a comfortable place at home.


休みの日も家に帰らず 彼氏と遊んだりした
五目並べも鴨なんばも 二人の間から消えてった

Even when it was a day off, I wouldn't get back home. Instead, I would spend time with my boyfriend.
The good memories of playing the Gomoku-narabe game and eating Kamo-nanba Udon disappeared from both mygrandma and me.


どうしてだろう 人は人を傷付け
大切なものをなくしてく
いつも味方をしてくれてた おばあちゃん残して
ひとりきり 家離れた

I'm wondering why people hurt people, and are losing something important.
I left my house, leaving my grandma who was always behind me.


上京して2年が過ぎて
おばあちゃんが入院した
痩せて 細くなってしまった
おばあちゃんに会いに行った

When it had been two years since I came/moved to Tokyo, my grandma was admitted into a hospital, which I never expected.
I went to see my grandma who had already become thin.


「おばあちゃん、ただいまー!」ってわざと
昔みたいに言ってみたけど ちょっと話しただけだったのに
「もう帰りー。」って 病室を出された

I intentionally tried saying to her "Grandma, I'm home" like I would say that while I lived with her.
Although I still felt like I had talked only a little bit with her, she let me out of her ward, saying that you should go.


次の日の朝  おばあちゃんは
静かに眠りについた
まるで まるで 私が来るのを
待っていてくれたように

The next day, my grandma drifted off into an eternal sleep.
Which made me feel as if she had been waiting for me coming to see her.


ちゃんと育ててくれたのに 恩返しもしてないのに
いい孫じゃなかったのに
こんな私を待っててくれたんやね

My grandma raised me up and loved me. In contrast, I never repaid her for that. I was never a good granddaughter.
Nonetheless, she was waiting for me coming to see her.


トイレには それはそれはキレイな
女神様がいるんやで
おばあちゃんがくれた言葉は 今日の私を
べっぴんさんにしてくれてるかな

There is a female god in the toilet. How beautiful she is.
I'm wondering if this phrase that my grandma gave me still makes me beautiful.


トイレには それはそれはキレイな
女神様がいるんやで
だから毎日 キレイにしたら 女神様みたいに
べっぴんさんになれるんやで

There is a female god in the toilet. How beautiful she is.
So, if you cleaned the toilet at home every day, you would be able to become very beautiful like the female god 


気立ての良いお嫁さんになるのが
夢だった私は
今日もせっせとトイレを ピーカピカにする

I dreamed about becoming a well-disposed wife when I was younger.
So, today I work hard on scouring the toilet as usual.


おばあちゃん
おばあちゃん ありがとう
おばあちゃん
ホンマに
ありがとう

Grandma
Grandma, thank you.
Grandma
Really thank you.