"" is a
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
children's song
A children's song may be a nursery rhyme set to music, a song that children invent and share among themselves or a modern creation intended for entertainment, use in the home or education. Although children's songs have been recorded and studie ...
composed in 1959 and is well known there. Its lyrics were written by and the music was composed by .
The name Satchan is a diminutive form of the name
Sachiko and is used mostly for young girls as opposed to older ones. Diminutive forms such as these can—but do not always—carry a comical connotation, so "Satchan" isn't merely a name like "Jenny;" it can be more like "Jenny girl" or "Jenny pie." Unlike in the English-speaking world, however, diminutive forms of children's names are used more often than not when referring to or speaking to children.
History
According to the
lyricist
A lyricist is a writer who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment.
Royalties
A lyricist's income derives ...
Hiroo Sakata, recalling his childhood, it was about a neighborhood girl nicknamed "Satchan". Ms. was in Sakata's class; she eventually moved away (referenced in the song as "...going far away" in the third verse). According to Megumi Ōnaka, Sakata had his first crush on Kikuta.
The reference to the banana in the second verse was over the health episode Sakata experienced himself. When younger, Sakata's body was weak; when he tried to eat more than half of a banana, he would feel nauseous and could not finish the rest.
As a note, the lyricist and the composer were cousins.
Popular culture
Due to the popularity of this children's song, several different
urban legend
Urban legend (sometimes modern legend, urban myth, or simply legend) is a genre of folklore concerning stories about an unusual (usually scary) or humorous event that many people believe to be true but largely are not.
These legends can be e ...
s and
spoofs associated with this song have sprung up in Japan. In one version, an additional fourth verse alludes to Sat-chan being a
legless ghost. In another version, additional verses up to the tenth were composed.
In the autumn of 2006, a memorial stone inscribed with the lyrics of this children's song was dedicated at the South
Osaka
is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...
Kindergarten.
External links
* (Japanese)''
Background information on Satchan* (Japanese)''
* (Japanese)''
{{Authority control
1959 songs
Songs in Japanese
Japanese children's songs
Songs about children