T My Name Is Takeo

 

                                Minasan, Kon’nichiwa

            T my name is Takeo  

I live in Tokyo, Japan

My friend’s name is Toshi

We like to play Kagome Kagome

We speak Japanese

              And now we’ll say “Sayōnara” 

Kagome, Kagome (Circle You, Circle You)

This is a circle game young children play in Japan.  The “It” is the oni (ogre). He sits in the middle of the circle covering his eyes. The other children join hands and walk in circles around the oni while chanting the song for the game. When the song stops, the oni names the person who stands behind him. If he is correct, the named child is the new oni.

Lyrics: Kagome Kagome,

The bird in the cage,

When, when will you come out?

In the evening of the dawn,

The crane and turtle slipped.

Who stands right behind you now?

References

Urban Dictionary

Welcome to my 2019 Blogging A-Z Challenge. Each day in the the month of April (except Sundays), I will bring you a memory of games and a jump rope song. It is similar to the classic A My Name Is…  Do you recognize the chant? A world of children will greet their friends and skip through the alphabet alliterating their name, a friend’s name, and their home city. They will also state their country, the language they speak, and their favorite game. Descriptions of the games are included. I chose games that are played on playgrounds or streets where children negotiate their teams and terms. You may recognize your favorite games that differ only in name.  As the alphabet progresses, it becomes apparent that the pursuit of laughter and fun are universal.

 

 

Antoinette Truglio Martin is the author of Hug Everyone You Know: A Year of Community, Courage, and Cancer. The memoir is a wimpy patient’s journey through her first year of breast cancer treatment.

Amazon     Barnes & Noble     IndieBound