- Jugemu
The folktale of Nihongo|Jugemu|寿限無| is one of the most famous
Rakugo inJapan . It has a simple story line with the funniest part being repeating of the ridiculously long name. It is often used in a training session of Rakugo entertainers.A couple could not think of a suitable name for their newborn baby boy, and so the father went to the temple and asked the chief
priest to think of an auspicious name. The priest suggested several names, beginning with "Jugemu". The father could not decide which name he preferred, and therefore gave the baby "all" of the names. But one day, Jugemu falls into a lake and his parents arrive barely in time to save him as everyone had trouble reciting his name.Jugemu's full name is as follows::Jugemu-jugemu:Gokōnosurikire:Kaijarisuigyo-no Suigyōmatsu:Unraimatsu Fūraimatsu:Kūnerutokoroni-sumutokoro:Yaburakōjino-burakōji:Paipopaipo-paiponoshūringan:Shūringanno-gūrindai :Gūrindaino-ponpokopīno-ponpokonāno:Chōkyūmeino-chōsuke
::寿限無寿限無::五劫の擦り切れ::海砂利水魚の 水行末::雲来末 風来末::食う寝る処に住む処::やぶら小路のぶら小路::パイポパイポ パイポのシューリンガン::シューリンガンのグーリンダイ::グーリンダイのポンポコピーのポンポコナーの::長久命の長助
The recitation from memory of these names is a feature of the
NHK children's TV programme "Nihongo de Asobou" (Let's Play with Japanese Language).The story of
Tikki Tikki Tembo , which is told in America under the auspices of being a Chinese folktale, is very similar."Jugemu" (sometimes "Jugem"; known as
Lakitu in the U.S.) is also the name of an enemy character from theSuper Mario Bros. series of games. In , ジュゲム is a colossal underground monster (#40 on the list) showing only a tiny twig and a single leaf aboveground.Jugemu-jugemu Gokōnosurikire is also part of the chant Sasami says in the 'Pretty Sammy' OVA to transform into Pretty Sammy, the rest being 'Sammy Davis Broiler Chicken'
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