Hatsu Tenjin First Tenjin Festival 初天神 Children

Hatsu Tenjin (First Tenjin Festival) 初天神

Children often bother their parents to buy them everything they see. This can be a great nuisance for parents.

Kinbō, a little boy, wants to go to the Tenjin festival. His father doesn’t want to take him, because he will bother him with “buy me this, buy me that. . . ”

Kinbō promises that he will not say “buy me this, buy me that. . . ”

Finally Kinbō and his mother convince his father to take him to the festival.

As they go, Kinbō’s father tells him if he breaks his promise, he will throw him in the river, where there are monsters called kappa.

Kinbo: Kappa is an imaginary animal, and only stupid people believe in them.

Kinbō sees a family going to the festival in a rickshaw. He wonders why he has to walk. It’s hard having such a stingy father.

They see a child being swung along between his parents. He asks his father to swing him again and again.

Kinbō looks at his father laughing and says You are so easy to please.

They come to the festival. Kinbō marvels at all the people. . . and all the shops.

Daddy, I didn’t ask you to buy me things, right? Right. I kept my promise, right? Yes. You’ve been a good boy.

Then buy me a reward.

Kinbō spies a candy shop. He begs his father to buy him a candy.

His father finally gives in.

Kinbō pays too much attention to his candy, and steps in a puddle.

His father whacks him on the back, and Kinbō spits out his candy.

Kinbō cheers up when he sees a dango dumpling shop. He begs his father to buy him dango.

His father finally gives in and buys the dango.

Father says he should have anko (bean paste) dumplings, rather than mitsu (syrup), because the syrup will drip all over.

mitsu. (syrup) anko. (bean paste)

His father finally gives in.

His father licks the extra mitsu off of the dango.

He licks off ALL of the syrup.

Then he sticks the licked dango back into the syrup.

Kinbō sees a kite store.

He begs his father to buy him a big kite. I want a big one. No, the big one is only to show.

The big one is for sale, but he ends up buying a small one.

Kinbō wants to fly the kite. The father first sends it up in the air.

Dad, you are good. Let me hold the string.

Wait until it gets a bit higher.

The father starts enjoying the kite flying.

Let me hold it.

No, kite flying isn’t for kids.

I wish I hadn’t brought my father to the festival. . .

The End