Salaryman Senryu 2009 – darkly humorous poems from Japan
The 100 finalists for Dai-Ichi Life Insurance’s annual “Salaryman Senryu” contest were announced yesterday. Below are rough English translations of a few of my favorite entries.
First off, the poem acted out in the NTV video clip above:
子供らに また教えてる 総理の名
To my child – I have to yet again teach – the name of our Prime Minister.
A joke referring to the scandals about dangerous imported food:
ぼくの嫁 国産（こくさん）なのに 毒（どく）がある
My wife – is made in Japan – but she is poisonous.
A poem describing the current state of the job market in Japan:
久しぶり ハローワークで 同窓会
It’s been a while – at the unemployment office – a class reunion.
And one about currency exchange rates:
円高を 実感したいが 円が無い
The rising value of the yen – I want to experience it – but I have no yen.
Hayao Miyazaki’s “Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea” was the highest grossing film of the year, so somebody was inspired by its title:
崖の上？ いいえ私は 崖っぷち
On a cliff? – No, I’m – on its edge.
And another pop culture reference, this time about the TV drama “Around Forty“:
「テストどう？」 こたえはいつも 「アラフォーさ！」
“How was the test?” – The answer is always, – “around forty!”
And finally, a good ol’ fashioned poem about a salaryman who is sad about his wife discovering his secret stash of money:
女房が 見つけてしまった 埋蔵金
My wife – found it – my buried treasure.
A full list of the poems in Japanese can be found on its official site. Web users can vote for their favorite poems until March 13th.
- Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
- dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)
- Kirainet.com – A geek in Japan (Subscribe)
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