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This is one of my guilty Japanese pleasures. Whenever I see the Algorithm March or the Taiso (they are different as you’ll see in just a moment) on TV it’s like I’m in a trance, I can’t move, I can’t eat, I can’t blink, all I can do is watch in amazement.
Are you familiar with Japanese Taiso (たいそ)? Well taiso means physical exercise in Japanese. There are probably hundreds of different types of group taiso activities for kids and adults in Japan. The march caught my eye years ago, and for some reason it’s been in my head everyday lately. So I thought I’d get it out of my brain and onto my blog in hopes that I can cure this Algorithm March/Algorithm Taiso sickness. I have two videos for you. I found this one on Google video. It’s one of the most entertaining of the Pythagoras Switch* videos. Why you ask? Well it has taiso and ninjas…need I say more? 🙂
Arugorizumu Koushin!
アルゴリズムこうしん
(Algorithm March!)
Hitori de koushin
ひとりでこうしん
(Individual March)
Ippo susunde mae narae
いっぽすすんでまえならえ
(Take one step and reach forward)
Ippo susunde eraihito
いっぽすすんでえらいひと
(Take one step forward and you’re a great person)
Hikkuri kaete pekorinko
ひっくりかえてぺこりんこ
(Turn around and bow to the person)
Yoko ni aruite kyorokyoro
よこにあるいてきょろきょろ
(Walk sideways and look around)
Chotto kokorade hiraoyogi
ちょっとここらでひらおよぎ
(Wait here and do the breaststroke)
Chotto shagande kurihiroi
ちょっとしゃがんでくりひろい
(Crouch here a moment and pick up a chestnut)
Kuuki iremasu shuu shuu
くうきいれますシュウシュウ
(Put air in it whoosh, whoosh)
Kuuki ga haite pyuu pyuu
くうきがはいてピュウピュウ
(There’s air inside pyuu, pyuu)
Ippo susunde mae narae
いっぽすすんでまえならえ
(Take one step and reach forward)
Ippo susunde eraihito
いっぽすすんでえらいひと
(Take one step forward and you’re a great person)
Hikkuri kaete pekorinko
ひっくりかえてぺこりんこ
(Turn around and bow to the person)
Yoko ni aruite kyorokyoro
よこにあるいてきょろきょろ
(Walk sideways and look around)
Chotto kokorade hiraoyogi
ちょっとここらでひらおよぎ
(Wait here and do the breaststroke)
Chotto shagande kurihiroi
ちょっとしゃがんでくりひろい
(Crouch here a moment and pick up a chestnut)
Kuuki iremasu shuu shuu
くうきいれますシュウシュウ
(Put air in it whoosh, whoosh)
Kuuki ga haite pyuu pyuu
くうきがはいてピュウピュウ
(There’s air inside pyuu, pyuu)
Sorosoro owari kana
そろそろおわりかな
(I wonder if it will end soon?)
Sorosoro owari kana
そろそろおわりかな
(I wonder if it will end soon?)
Sorosoro owari kana
そろそろおわりかな
(I wonder if it will end soon?)
Owari
おわり
(Finished)
This is what the Algorithm Taiso looks like:
Kocchi muite futari de maenarae
こっちむいてふたりでまえならえ
(Turn this way and reach forward with both hands)
Aichi muite futari de maenarae
あいちむいてふたりでまえならえ
(Turn that way and reach forward with both hands)
Kocchi muite futari de maenarae
こっちむいてふたりでまえならえ
(Turn this way and reach forward with both hands)
Aichi muite futari de maenarae
あいちむいてふたりでまえならえ
(Turn that way and reach forward with both hands)
Te wo yoko ni ara abunai
てをよこにあらあぶない
(Put your hands to the side…oh, that’s dangerous)
Atama wo sagereba butsukarimasen
あたまをさげればぶつかりません
(If you lower your head you won’t get hit)
Te wo yoko ni ara abunai
てをよこにあらあぶない
(Put your hands to the side…oh, that’s dangerous)
Atama wo sagereba daijobu
あたまをさげればだいじょうぶ
(Lower your head and you’ll be okay)
Guruguruguru guruguruguru
ぐるぐるぐる ぐるぐるぐる
(Round and round, round and round)
Guru guru
ぐるぐる
(Round and round)
Guruguruguru guruguruguru
ぐるぐるぐる ぐるぐるぐる
(Round and round, round and round)
Guru guru
ぐるぐる
(Round and round)
Pacchin pacchin gasshin gasshin
ぱっちんぱっちん ガシンガッシン
(slap, slap, bash, bash)
Pacchin pacchin gasshin gasshin
ぱっちんぱっちん ガシンガッシン
(slap, slap, bash, bash)
Pacchin pacchin gasshin gasshin
ぱっちんぱっちん ガシンガッシン
(slap, slap, bash, bash)
Pacchin pacchin gasshin gasshin
ぱっちんぱっちん ガシンガッシン
(slap, slap, bash, bash)
Sutte haku no ga shinkokyuu
すってはくのがしんこきゅう
(Take a deep breath)
Sutte haku no ga shinkokyuu
すってはくのがしんこきゅう
(Take a deep breath)
I definitely like the Algorithm March better than the Algorithm Taiso. Not only because of the ninjas but because it’s so much fun to do with a group of your friends. Which one do you like better? They’re both heaps of fun, though. Why not give them both a try? 😉
Warning: THE ALGORITHM MARCH & ALGORITHM TAISO CAN BE VERY ADDICTIVE!!
HAVE FUN!!
Donald Ash
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I am on teaching rounds in a grade 5 and 6 school in Australia and the kids were learning the Algorithm March in Japanese! They were really struggling with the lyrics (I studied Japanese for 6 years and went on exchange- and while im 26 now I even struggled with it!). So i helped the kids say the words and within an hour they knew them and 60% of the march. Watching 30 kids do this dance is priceless!
I was looking everywhere for this particular video as the song was stuck in my head, so when I found this page I was thrilled!!
Your post makes me feel better. For a while, I thought I was crazy! The Algorithm March was stuck in my head for days after I saw it the first time. And the dance…oh my gosh! If I could just gather up some people. I would love to go to go to like Shibuya and do a big, funky version of the Algorithm March.
I’m sure your students loved it. I’m also glad the page was useful for you. Thanks Tahlia 🙂
I’m not very sure if I’m right because this is based on listening, but I think for the last few lines of the march they’re saying “soro soro owari kana” which means “I wonder if it is going to end soon?”
Scruffy! YOU ARE 100% CORRECT, my friend. Thank you so much for catching that. It’s been quite a while since I went back, but could definitely hear the same thing you are. That’s getting changed this instant! 😀