The Japanese Christmas Song Awatenbou no Santakuroosu

Christmas has become a popular celebration in Japan, even though less than one percent of the Japanese are Christian. However, Christmas is not a family time in Japan. In fact, it is not even a national holiday. December 23rd, though, is a holiday because it is the birthday of the present emperor. Most Japanese work on Christmas day, just like any other day. On the other hand, New Years Day is an important holiday where families get together and have a special feast. So, how do the Japanese celebrate Christmas? It is a time for lovers to have a romantic dinner and give presents, much like St Valentines Day. The media now really push Christmas Eve as being a time for romance. Thats why Christmas Eve is more important in Japan than Christmas day itself. Fancy restaurants and hotels are often booked solid at this time. In December, Christmas classics are played everywhere. Most popular Japanese Christmas songs are for lovers. Here is a Japanese Christmas song for children called, Awatenbou no Santakuroosu (Hasty Santa Claus). You can check out the animated version of Awatenbou no Santakuroosu on Youtube. The Lyrics of Awatenbou no Santakuroosu 㠁‚ã‚ Ã£  ¦Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£  ¼Ã£ â€ Ã£  ®Ã£â€š µÃ£Æ' ³Ã£â€š ¿Ã£â€š ¯Ã£Æ' ­Ã£Æ' ¼Ã£â€š ¹Ã£â€š ¯Ã£Æ' ªÃ£â€š ¹Ã£Æ'žã‚ ¹Ã£  ¾Ã£ Ë†Ã£  « や㠁 £Ã£  ¦Ã£  Ã£ Å¸Ã£ â€žÃ£  Ã£ â€žÃ£  § ãÆ' ªÃ£Æ' ³Ã£Æ' ªÃ£Æ' ³Ã£Æ' ªÃ£Æ' ³Ã£ â€žÃ£  Ã£ â€žÃ£  § ãÆ' ªÃ£Æ' ³Ã£Æ' ªÃ£Æ' ³Ã£Æ' ªÃ£Æ' ³Ã© ³ ´Ã£â€šâ€°Ã£ â€"㠁 ¦Ã£ Å Ã£  Ã£â€šÅ'よ é ËœÃ£â€šâ€™Ã£Æ' ªÃ£Æ' ³Ã£Æ' ªÃ£Æ' ³Ã£Æ' ªÃ£Æ' ³ ãÆ' ªÃ£Æ' ³Ã£Æ' ªÃ£Æ' ³Ã£Æ' ªÃ£Æ' ³Ã£Æ' ªÃ£Æ' ³Ã£Æ' ªÃ£Æ' ³Ã£Æ' ªÃ£Æ' ³ 㠁‚ã‚ Ã£  ¦Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£  ¼Ã£ â€ Ã£  ®Ã£â€š µÃ£Æ' ³Ã£â€š ¿Ã£â€š ¯Ã£Æ' ­Ã£Æ' ¼Ã£â€š ¹Ã£ Ë†Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£  ¨Ã£  ¤Ã£  ®Ã£ Å¾Ã£ â€žÃ£  ¦ è  ½Ã£  £Ã£ â€œÃ£  ¡Ã£ Å¸Ã£ â€šÃ£ â€žÃ£ Å¸Ã£ Å¸ ãÆ'‰ãÆ' ³Ã£Æ'‰ãÆ' ³Ã£Æ'‰ãÆ' ³Ã£ â€šÃ£ â€žÃ£ Å¸Ã£ Å¸ ãÆ'‰ãÆ' ³Ã£Æ'‰ãÆ' ³Ã£Æ'‰ãÆ' ³Ã£  ¾Ã£  £Ã£  Ã£â€š Ã£  Ã£â€š Ã£ â€˜Ã£  ® 㠁Šé ¡â€Ã£Æ'‰ãÆ' ³Ã£Æ'‰ãÆ' ³Ã£Æ'‰ãÆ' ³ ãÆ'‰ãÆ' ³Ã£Æ'‰ãÆ' ³Ã£Æ'‰ãÆ' ³Ã£Æ'‰ãÆ' ³Ã£Æ'‰ãÆ' ³Ã£Æ'‰ãÆ' ³ 㠁‚ã‚ Ã£  ¦Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£  ¼Ã£ â€ Ã£  ®Ã£â€š µÃ£Æ' ³Ã£â€š ¿Ã£â€š ¯Ã£Æ' ­Ã£Æ' ¼Ã£â€š ¹Ã£ â€"㠁‹ã Å¸Ã£ Å'㠁 ªÃ£ â€žÃ£ â€¹Ã£â€šâ€° è ¸Å Ã£  £Ã£ Å¸Ã£â€šË†Ã¦ ¥ ½Ã£ â€"㠁  ãÆ' Ã£Æ' £Ã£Æ' Ã£Æ' £Ã£Æ' Ã£Æ' £Ã¦ ¥ ½Ã£ â€"㠁  ãÆ' Ã£Æ' £Ã£Æ' Ã£Æ' £Ã£Æ' Ã£Æ' £Ã£  ¿Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£  ªÃ£â€šâ€šÃ¨ ¸Å Ã£â€š Ã£â€šË† Ã¥Æ'•ã  ¨Ã£Æ' Ã£Æ' £Ã£Æ' Ã£Æ' £Ã£Æ' Ã£Æ' £ ãÆ' Ã£Æ' £Ã£Æ' Ã£Æ' £Ã£Æ' Ã£Æ' £Ã£Æ' Ã£Æ' £Ã£Æ' Ã£Æ' £Ã£Æ' Ã£Æ' £ 㠁‚ã‚ Ã£  ¦Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£  ¼Ã£ â€ Ã£  ®Ã£â€š µÃ£Æ' ³Ã£â€š ¿Ã£â€š ¯Ã£Æ' ­Ã£Æ' ¼Ã£â€š ¹Ã£â€šâ€šÃ£ â€žÃ£  ¡Ã£  ©Ã¦  ¥Ã£â€šâ€¹Ã£â€šË†Ã£  ¨ Ã¥ ¸ °Ã£  £Ã£  ¦Ã£  Ã£ â€¢Ã£â€šË†Ã£  ªÃ£â€šâ€° ã‚ ·Ã£Æ' £Ã£Æ' ©Ã£Æ' ©Ã£Æ' ³Ã£Æ' ©Ã£Æ' ³Ã£ â€¢Ã£â€šË†Ã£  ªÃ£â€šâ€° ã‚ ·Ã£Æ' £Ã£Æ' ©Ã£Æ' ©Ã£Æ' ³Ã£Æ' ©Ã£Æ' ³Ã£â€š ¿Ã£Æ' ³Ã£Æ'â€"ãÆ' ªÃ£Æ' ³Ã© ³ ´Ã£â€šâ€°Ã£ â€"㠁 ¦Ã¦ ¶Ë†Ã£ Ë†Ã£ Å¸Ã£â€š ·Ã£Æ' £Ã£Æ' ©Ã£Æ' ©Ã£Æ' ³Ã£Æ' ©Ã£Æ' ³ ã‚ ·Ã£Æ' £Ã£Æ' ©Ã£Æ' ©Ã£Æ' ³Ã£Æ' ©Ã£Æ' ³Ã£â€š ·Ã£Æ' £Ã£Æ' ©Ã£Æ' ©Ã£Æ' ³Ã£Æ' ©Ã£Æ' ³ 㠁‚ã‚ Ã£  ¦Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£  ¼Ã£ â€ Ã£  ®Ã£â€š µÃ£Æ' ³Ã£â€š ¿Ã£â€š ¯Ã£Æ' ­Ã£Æ' ¼Ã£â€š ¹Ã£â€šâ€ Ã£ â€¹Ã£ â€žÃ£  ªÃ£ Å Ã£  ²Ã£ â€™Ã£  ® 㠁Šã ËœÃ£ â€žÃ£ â€¢Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£Æ' ªÃ£Æ' ³Ã£Æ' ªÃ£Æ' ³Ã£Æ' ªÃ£Æ' ³ ãÆ' Ã£Æ' £Ã£Æ' Ã£Æ' £Ã£Æ' Ã£Æ' £Ã£Æ'‰ãÆ' ³Ã£Æ'‰ãÆ' ³Ã£Æ'‰ãÆ' ³ ã‚ ·Ã£Æ' £Ã£Æ' ©Ã£Æ' ©Ã£Æ' ³Ã£Æ' ©Ã£Æ' ³Ã£â€š Ã£ â„¢Ã£â€šÅ'㠁 ¡Ã£â€šÆ'㠁  Ã£â€š Ã£   Ã£â€šË† 㠁Šã‚‚㠁 ¡Ã£â€šÆ'ã‚ ·Ã£Æ' £Ã£Æ' ©Ã£Æ' ©Ã£Æ' ³ ãÆ' ªÃ£Æ' ³ ãÆ' Ã£Æ' £Ã£Æ' Ã£Æ' £Ã£Æ' Ã£Æ' £Ã£Æ'‰ãÆ' ³ ã‚ ·Ã£Æ' £Ã£Æ' ©Ã£Æ' ©Ã£Æ' ³ Romaji Translation Awatenbou no SantakuroosuKurisumasu mae ni yattekitaIsoide rin rin rinIsoide rin rin rinNarashite okure yo kane oRin rin rin rin rin rinRin rin rin Awatenbou no SantakuroosuEntotsu nozoite okkochitaAitata don don donAitata don don donMakkuro kuro ke no okaoDon don don don don donDon don don Awatenbou no SantakuroosuShikataganaikara odotta yoTanoshiku cha cha chaTanoshiku cha cha chaMinna mo odoro yo boku toCha cha cha cha cha chaCha cha cha Awatenbou no SantakuroosuMo ichido kuru yo to kaettekuSayonara shara ran ranSayonara shara ran ranTanburin narashite kietaShara ran ran Shara ran ranShara ran ran Awatenbou no SantakuroosuYukaina ohige no ojiisanRin rin rin Cha cha chaDon don don Shara ran ranWasurecha dame da yo omochaShara ran rin cha cha chaDon shara ran The Use of ~bou Awatenbou means, a hasty person. ~bou is attached to some words and expresses ~ person, ~ person who does ~ in an affectionate or ridiculing manner. Here are some examples: Okorinbou 怒りんå Å  --- a short-tempered or irritable personKechinbou 㠁‘㠁 ¡Ã£â€šâ€œÃ¥ Å  --- a stingy person; a miserAmaenbou 甘㠁ˆã‚“å Å  --- a pampered or spoiled person.Kikanbou 㠁 Ã£ â€¹Ã£â€šâ€œÃ¥ Å  --- a naughty or unruly personAbarenbou æš ´Ã£â€šÅ'ã‚“å Å  --- a rough or disorderly person.Kuishinbou é £Å¸Ã£ â€žÃ£ â€"ã‚“å Å  --- a gourmandWasurenbou Ã¥ ¿ËœÃ£â€šÅ'ã‚“å Å  --- a forgetful person The Prefix ma Makkuro means as black as ink. Ma is a prefix to emphasize the noun that comes after ma. The Japanese title for Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is Makkana ohana no tonakai-san. Lets look at some words that include ma. Makka çÅ"Ÿã  £Ã¨ µ ¤ --- bright redMakkuro çÅ"Ÿã  £Ã© »â€™ --- black as inkMasshiro çÅ"Ÿã  £Ã§â„¢ ½ --- pure whiteMassao çÅ"Ÿã  £Ã© â€™ --- deep blueManatsu çÅ"Ÿå ¤  --- the middle of summerMafuyu çÅ"Ÿå† ¬ --- the middle of winterMakkura çÅ"Ÿã  £Ã¦Å¡â€" --- pitch-darkMasski --- at the very firstMapputateu --- right in twoMassara --- brand new The Prefix o The prefix o is added to kao (face) and hige (beard; mustache) for politeness. Again, the title Makkana ohana no tonakai-san (Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer) includes the use of the prefix o as well. Hana means nose and ohana is the polite form of hana. Onomatopoeic Expressions There are many onomatopoeic expressions used in songs. They are words that describe sound or action directly. Rin rin describes a ringing sound, in this case the sound of a bell. Don expresses thud and boom. It is used to describe the sound that Santa Claus makes as he comes down a chimney.