07.22.10
Letkajenkka or Letkis / Letkiss / Let’s Kiss could be hazardous to your health
Year 2000 TWO Finnish hits also made the charts abroad: Bomfunk MC’s with Freestyler, and Darude with Sandstorm. There was a huge gap since the previous world hit back in 1963. That is when Letkis by Rauno Lehtinen became the latest craze in Europe, Latin America, and even Japan.
Letkajenkka / Letkis is both a genre of music but it is also a popular party or novelty dance.
Letkajenkka or Letkis as a dance (not the music) is a variation of the Bunny Hop, that became popular and was introduced in the show Bandstand. Both Bunny Hop and Letkajenkka or Letkis are forms of the conga line dance and are thus festival marches. Both dances are danced in a long line by repeating a simple set of hops while placing hands on the shoulders or hips of the person in front.
The Bunny Hop is usually done to a recording of the song Bunny Hop by Ray Anthony’s Orchestra recorded in 1952. (”New Pop Records”, Time Magazine, January 26, 1953)
More information on the Bunny Hop. Composer: Ray Anthony, lyrics by Leonard Auletti – Moonight Music inc., BMI
Put your right foot forward
Put your left foot out
Do the Bunny Hop
Hop, hop, hop!
Dance this new creation
It’s the new sensation
Do the Bunny Hop
Hop, hop, hop!
Let’s all join in the fun
Father, mother, son
Do the Bunny Hop
Hop, hop, hop!
Knock knock
Who’s there?
Ammonia
Ammonia trying to be funny!
The Bunny Hop was danced to other songs, too, and it is still a popular children’s activity.
It has been suspected that exchange students returning to Finland imported the Bunny Hop steps from the United States where they might have danced it or seen it on the show Bandstand. Later in 1963 they were modified to Letkajenkka, the Finnish version of the Bunny Hop. The genre of the original Bunny Hop song could be described as slowish Boogie Woogie, but the Finnish variant is danced to Jenka (jenkka) music.
Jenka, or jenkka in Finnish, is usually a piece of music in time signature 4/4. It is categorized as either traditional Finnish music or folk music. In the sixties there arose an idea to perform old or traditional music in a new way, or compose Jenka songs that better suited the popular taste, that is, incorporate electric or big band instruments instead of the traditional violin and accordeon.
The idea was first realized by Erik Lindström who composed Letkajenkka in August, 1963. It hit the charts in October of the same year, and it was then performed by a Swedish band, the Adventures.
About six months later Rauno Lehtinen composed by far the most popular letkajenkka song, the Letkis. It it became a hit in many European countries, in Latin America, and even Japan.
In 1965, four instrumental versions of the tune reached number one in the Netherlands simultaneously. These were by Stig Rauno, Gudrun Jankis, an unknown group called The Wild Ones, and the Dutch Swing College Band. All four versions had the international title, Letkiss rather than the original Finnish title. It remained the only Dutch number one to have originated from Finland until 2000, when Freestyler by the Bomfunk MC’s reached number one.
Versions of Letkiss have been mentioned in the Billboard magazine March 23rd, 1965.
Billboard magazine mentioned Letkis many times.
Other anecdotes about Letkis:
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Letkis is potentially hazardous to your health!
Omer Anderson in February 23rd, 1965 Billboard magazine:
“German medical authorities have warned that kissing fad started by the let-kiss dance threatens to spread colds and other desease. They call the let-kiss fever a “medical nuisamce could lead to a catastrophe”. Let-kiss disks have rocketing sales in Germany. Meanwihle, Bonn government authorities are considering steps to ban the dance.”
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Swedish music publisher holds rights to over 60 songs in the Letkiss vein
…
“Letkiss is a dance derived from an old Finnish dance called the Letkajenka. The dance is now a crase in Europe, partially because the audiences there misconstrued the name of the dance to mean, Let’s Kiss.”
Billboard magazine, April 3rd, 1965
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An incomplete list of recordings, video clips of movies, and music videos of different Letkajenkka / Letkis songs:
Ronnie Kranckin orkesteri 1963
In the orchestra:
Rauno Lehtinen, Olli Mäkelä, Jörgen Petersen, Per Wallenius, Ronnie Kranck, Pentti Lasanen
Ronnie Kranck
VICTOR SS-1575 – Ronnie Kranckin orkesteri: Letkis / Rauno Lehtisen orkesteri: Sekaletka (1965 Japan)
Esko Jaakko
Vogue EPL 8306 – Esko Jaakko: Le Letkajenka (EP)
Finnjenka (Amalia) / Let’s Kiss (Letkaus) / The Merry Singer (Ilojen Laulaja) / Finnbeat (Jaakon Jenkka) (1965 France)
Pentti Lasanen & Jaakko Salo
Philips 319852 BF – Jaakko Lasanen And His Orchestra:
Letkiss / Jackajenka (1964 Belgium/Holland)
Philips Médium 545.310 Be – Jaakko Lasanen et son orchestre:
Letkiss (EP) (1964 France)
Letkiss / Jackajenka / Quadrillenka / Jenka-Jug
Litratone Lit 74000 – Jaakko Lasanen et son orchestre:
Letkiss (EP) (1964 Israel)
Letkiss / Jackajenka / Quadrillenka / Jenka-Jug
Philips 812614 – Various Artists:
Succès Des Années 60/70 (LP) (197? France)
Jaakko Lasanen Et Son Orchestre: Letkiss
Rauno Lehtinen
RCA 47-9446 – The Vostok All-Stars:
Lalaika / My Heart Belongs To Daddy (1962/3 West Germany)
RCA 47-9482 – The Vostok All-Stars:
Chrysanthemum / Mit Humor, Mit Humor (1963 West Germany)
Telefunken U 55 833 – The Original Finnish Letkis-Band:
Letkis No. 2 / Letkis-Party (1963 West Germany)
RCA 47-9608 – The Finnish Jenka All-Stars:
Letkis / Sekaletka (1964 West Germany)
RCA 47-9627 – Rauno Lehtinen & his orchestra:
Letkiss Cha-Cha / Blue Day (1965 West Germany)
Reprise 0359 – The Finnish Jenka All-Stars:
Letkis / Sekaletka (1964 USA)
RCA EP 3-20864 – Rauno Lehtinen y su orquesta:
Yenka Letkis (EP) (1964 Spain)
Sekaletka / Kanttorin Jenkka / Letkis / Amado Mio
RCA EP 86.415 – Various Artists:
Letkis (EP) (1964 France)
Ronnie Kranckin Orkesteri: Letkis / Rauno Lehtisen Ork.: Sekaletka /
Rauno Lehtisen Ork.: Kanttorin Jenkka / Sten & Stanley: Juna-Jenkka
Barclay 72650 – The Finnish Letkiss All-Stars:
The Finnish Letkiss All-Stars (EP) (1965 France)
Letkiss No. 2 / Farmer-Jenka / Jenka-Party / Hello Grand-Father
Telefunken SLE 14 370-P – The Finnish Letkiss All-Stars:
Letkiss – Made In Finland (LP) (1964 West Germany)
Letkiss / Letkiss For Two / Hello Grandfather / Suku-Letka / Blue Letkiss / Por-Boy Letkiss / 1920 / Ekin Letka / Export Letkiss / Letkiss Party / Koski-Letka / Express-Letkiss
RCA Victor Canada International PC 1027 – Rauno Lehtinen:
Letkiss (LP) (196? Canada)
Rauno Lehtinen’s records were also released in South-America.
Erik Lindström
CBS 1709 – Erik Lindström und sein orchester:
Lapponia-Letkiss / Polar-Letkiss (1964 West Germany)
Festival FY 2417 – Various Artists:
4 Letkiss-Jenka Finlandais (EP) (1964 France)
Erik Lindström Band: Lapponia Letkiss / Polar Letkiss / Polar Letkiss Jenka Band (Swedish band, both songs written by E. Lindström & A. Fuhrmann): Karelia Jenka / Helsinki Letkiss
Esko Linnavalli & Jaakko Salo
Audio Fidelity AFSD 6140 – the Original Finnish Letkiss-
Jenka Dance Band: Let’s Letkiss (LP) (1965 USA)
The Letkiss / Goodbye Letter / Old House Jenka / Letkiss On The Market / Slow Boat Jenka / Penniless Dreamer / Let’s Letkiss / Five Chicks / Lumberjack-Jenka / Jenka On The Thousand Lakes / Timber-Jenka / Reindeer-Jenka
Ember EMB 3363 – The Original Finnish Letkiss-Jenka Dance Band:
Let’s Letkiss (LP) (1965 UK)
The Letkiss / Goodbye Letter / Old House Jenka / Letkiss On The Market / Slow Boat Jenka / Penniless Dreamer / Let’s Letkiss / Five Chicks / Lumberjack-Jenka / Jenka On The Thousand Lakes / Timber-Jenka / Reindeer-Jenka
Vogue LVDS 17 037 – Various Artists:
Let’s Letkiss (LP) (1965 West Germany)
Jaakko Salo Orchestra: Goodbye Letter / Letkiss On The Market / The Merry Singer / Five Chicks / Lumberjack-Jenka / Jenka On The Thousand Lakes / Esko Linnavalli Orchestra: Old House Jenka / Slowboat-Jenka / Penniless Dreamer / Let’s Letkiss / Timber-Jenka / Reindeer-Jenka
Mode Mdint 9308 – Esko Jaakko et son orchestre:
Le Letkiss (LP) (1965 France)
The Merry Singer / Finnbeat / Letkis On The Market / Coinjenka / Five Chicks / Goodbye-Letter / Finnjenka / Let’s Kiss / Penniless Dreamer / Let’s Letkis / Slowboat Jenka / Old House Jenka
Durium D.30-121 – the Original Finnish Letkiss-Jenka Band:
Balliamo il Letkis (LP) (1965 Italy)
Goodbye-Letter / The Merry Singer / Finnbeat / Letkis On The Market / Five Chicks / Coinjenka / Old House Jenka / Penniless Dreamer / Let’s Kiss / Let’s Letkiss / Finnjenka / Slowboat
Elite Special F 4024 – Jaakko Salo orch. (a) / Esko Linnavalli orch. (b):
Jaakon Jenkka / Amalia (1964 Switzerland)
DOT 45-16 709 – Jaakko Salo orch. (a) / Esko Linnavalli orch. (b):
The Original Finnjenka / Amalia (1964/5 USA)
Sonet SXP 6072 – various artists:
Finnjenka (EP) (1965 Sweden)
Esko Linnavallin Orkester: Finnjenka / Let’s Letkiss / Jaakko Salon Orkester: Finnbeat / Coinjenka
Vogue EPL 8306 – Jaakko Salo Orch. (a) / Esko Linnavalli Orch. (b):
Jaakko Salo Orch./Esko Linnavalli Orch. (EP) (1965 West Germany)
Jaakko Salo Orch.: The Merry Singer / Finnbeat / Esko Linnavalli Orch.: Finnjenka / Let’s Letkiss
The Adventurers / The Wild Ones
(A Swedish group that recorded the following songs in Finland)
Ariola 10 660 AT – The Adventurers
Doin’ The Jenka / Love Potion No.9 (196? West Germany)
Metronome M-447 – The Wild Ones:
Letkajenkka / Cuckoo Jenka (1963 West Germany)
Sonet T 7601 – The Wild Ones:
Letkajenkka / Cuckoo Jenka (1963 Sweden)
Jolly J 20299X45 – The Wild Ones:
The Cuckoo Jenka / Letkajenka (196? Italy)
Jan Rohde & The Adventurers / The Wild Ones
(Norwegian singer with Swedish group. Recorded the following songs in Finland)
Sonet SXP 4051 – Jan Rohde & The Adventurers
Jan Rohde & The Adventurers (EP) (1964 rel. only in Finland, but with the Swedish numbering)
Doin’ The Jenka / Hound Dog / At The Jenka Show / Tutti Frutti
Sonet SXP 4060 – Jan Rohde & The Wild Ones:
Jan Rohde & The Wild ONES (EP) (1964 Sweden)
Everyday / The Mercy / Money / Love Potion No.9
Sonet SXP 4064 – Jan Rohde & The Wild Ones:
4 X Jenka (EP) (1964 Sweden)
At The Jenka Show / Cuckoo Jenka / Letkajenkka / Doin’ The Jenka
Discophon EP 27 402 – Jan Rohde & The Wild Ones:
4 X Jenka (EP) (1964 Spain)
At The Jenka Show / Cuckoo Jenka / Letkajenkka / Doin’ The Jenka
EMI/His Master’s Voice 7 EGF 780 – Jan Rohde & The Wild Ones:
Letkiss = Jenka (EP) (1965 France)
Letka Jenka / At The Jenka Show / Doin’ The Jenka / The Cuckoo Jenka
Olle Wiberg
HMV POP 1482 – Olle Wiberg:
The White Hills Of Finland / Unforgettable Jenka (1965 UK)
(probably released only as “Demonstration Records”-test pressing with all-white label)
The Crazy Finns
RCA/Discophon OY (no number) – The Crazy Finns:
Letkiss / Farmer Letkiss (1965, Finnish promotional copy for export use)
Letkajenka – Erik Lindstöm
Karel Duba se svou skupinou
1966 Supraphon D 01998
Letkis Jenka – The Dutch Swing College Band Philips (I have to admit: the swing is irresistable, no wonder it was popular.)
Letkiss – Rauno Lehtinen
Gudrun Jankis & Orkest Gdrun Jankis
Omega 32572 (?), 1965
Letkiss – Rauno Lehtinen
Roberto Delgado & Orchester Robert Delgado (instrumental)
Other songs on Letkiss – Der Tanz von heute
Polydor 1964
| 01 – Letkiss 02 – Gluhwurmchen 03 – Sisu jenka 04 – Jaqueline jenka 05 – Amalia (finnjenka) 06 – Scandinavian girl 07 – Let’s letkiss (maatiejenka) 08 – Letkajenka 09 – Swedish rhapsody 10 – Happy jenka 11 – Wochenend und Sonnenschein 12 – Gipsy jenka 13 – Wedding jenka (Hurmalan Häät) 14 – Esko jenka (Letkaus, Let’s kiss) |
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| 1964, Polydor 52456 Germany |  |
Letkiss-Jenka – Rauno Lehtinen
Stanislav Šimek a Zdeněk Zahálka – trubky, Sláva Kunst se svým orchestrem (Czech – Instrumental)
Supraphon D 01741, 1965
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Le Letkiss – Anton Letkiss 45 T (EP 4 titles) Barkclay 72.639, France (Unknown year / sixties) |
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Letkiss et Sirtaki – Special Vacances – 7inch (EP) Riviera 231 090 M, Year unknown 01 Zorba le Grec 02 L’ile de Samos 03 Kiss me Letkiss 04 Dansons le Letkiss |
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Letkiss Jenka – Rauno Lehtinen
Lill-Babs (in Swedish)
Хор Турецкого – Летка – Енка (Turetsky choir) Letka – Jenka
A serious choir and their nearly accapella live performance in Russian.
Тамара Миансарова – Летка-Енка (Tamara Miansarova)
Lyrics in Russian – М. Пляцковский (M. Plyatskovsky)
Composer: Р. Лехтинен (R. Lehtinen)
Мелодия Д-00017811-2 Vinyl, 7″, Mono, 33 ⅓ RPM
USSR 1966
坂本九／レットキスジェンカ Kyuu Sakamoto – Let’s Kiss Jenka – Japanese lyrics by 前田憲男 (Norio Maeda)
“minna de waraimashou Rettokisu (Jenka)” (sound engineering Toshiba TP-1351)
September 1966.
Let’s Kiss 頬寄せて Let’s Kiss 目を閉じて
Let’s Kiss 小鳥のように 唇(ｸﾁﾋﾞﾙ)重ねよう
Let’s Kiss 照れないで Let’s Kiss つつましく
Let’s Kiss 初めて触れる 君の唇
ラーラララ ラララ 初めてキスをする
ラーラララ ラララ 踊ろよこれがジェンカ
Let’s Kiss 若者よ Let’s Kiss 恋人よ
Let’s Kiss 愛するしるしだ
口づけに乾杯！
сл.Д.Иванова D.Ivanova
муз.Г.Подельского G.Podelskogo [!!!!]
Как-то ночью по пустой дороге
Грустный со свидания я шел опять
Верьте – не верьте почему-то ноги
Сами стали этот танец танцевать
Снова к милой привела дорожка
Снова оказался у ее дверей
Стукнул в окошко подождал немножко
Слушай дорогая выходи скорей!
Припев:
Раз два туфли надень-ка
Как тебе не стыдно спать?
Славная, милая, смешная енька
Нас приглашает танцевать!
(припев повторяется дважды)
Вместе с милой мы пошли от дома
По знакомой улице в который раз
В окна стучали всем своим знакомым
Вовсе несмотря на то что поздний час
Скоро улица нам тесной стала
Целый город пробудили мы от сна!
И так задорно в небесах плясала
Еньку вместе с нами до утра луна
Letkis – Stig Rauno (!!) (Dutch – Instrumental)
Trea Dobbs: Ploem Ploem jenka (Dutch) Decca single 1965
and Philips AT 10 126
Serie: Nationaal Songfestival Voorronde Eurovisie Songfestival 1965- Nederland 1965
1. Ploem ploem jenka 2. Stad
A song composed by Johnny Hoes uses a Letkis sample and borrows the name:
Johnny & De Feestneuzen: Dans de Letkiss (J. Hoes/J.Hoes) A sample of the song can be heard here on Hoes’ site. The lyrics follow the Bunny Hop line instead of the Letkis line of steps:
“Een, twee, rechterbeen omhoog
Een, twee, linkerbeen omhoog
Nog eens daarna tot besluit
Spring voor en achter en dan driemaal vlug vooruit”
The right leg comes first… – but then again, the song is not Lehtinen’s Letkis, either.
Different styles of the dance (some very entertaining to the Finnish eye!)
Italian
And he is actually dancing Bunny Hop since he is starting with a right leg lead, but the music is not Bunny Hop. Fortunately Finnish dance teachers are not the only one making fools of themselves on Youtube. 
Hungarian movie
Törőcsi, Mari & Bodrogi, Gyula
A clip from the movie Patyolat akció (1965) with some kind of letkis dancing. The song is unknown to me, but it is Kiss Manyi singing in Hugarian.
Let Kiss from the movie Jamboree 66 by Sampaguita Pictures (Philippines) 1966, directed by Luciano B. Carlos
A Russian folk dance (= ballet) group from Carelia, Kantele. Oh my… they’ve turned into army marching. Ballet is fine, but folk dance is not ballet. Also a good posture is fine, but these have not looked at the “folkes”.
Marino Marini – Letkis Jenka (Italy) 1865
Bert Kaempfert – Letkiss
Letkiss – Yvar Sauna EMI 45rpm
NSF 1965 – Trea Dobbs – Ploem ploem jenka
P.Goemans
- Dutch
Zoem, zoem, zo gaan alle snaren
Roem, roem, roem zo gaat de trom En m’n hart dat gaat van je rom-bom-bom ‘t Is haast een liedje zonder woorden
Ploem, ploem en een paar akkoorden Want ik ben nu al een poos
Van verliefdheid sprakeloos
Ja, wat kun je ook verwachten
‘k Slaap al vele nachten niet zo best
Jij bent steeds in mijn gedachten
En dan lijkt m’n hartje wel een dansorkest
Van ploem, ploem, net als de gitaren
Zoem, zoem, net als alle snaren
Roem, roem, roem zoals de trom
Maar je kijkt naar mij niet om
Letkis – Katri Helena
- Finnish
Composer: Rauno Lehtinen, arr.: J. Petersen, lyrics: Saukki
Warner/Chappell Finland 1965
Letkis meillä täällä tunnetaan
Letkis meillä osataan
Letkis suomalaisien on saanut aikaan villityksen hirmuisen
Letkis maailmalla on
Letkis tanssi nuorison
Tietää mannermaa nyt saa kuinka jenkka suomalainen valloittaa
Ken letkassa kestä ei sen varmaan pikku-hukka vei
Jenkkaamme letkaamaan ei heikko päät saa tullakkaan
Letkis tanssi nuorison
Letkis maailmalla on
Lentää valtamerten taa siellä letkis on se joka valloittaa
Joka mies joka mies nämä askeleet kai ties
Poikien tyttöjen jono on jo kilometrinen
Jokinen mäkinen joka toinen nieminen virtanen lahtinen sekä konstaapeli koivunen
Letkis täällä tunnetaan
Letkis meillä osataan
Letkis suomalaisien on saanut aikaan villityksen hirmuisen
Letkis maailmalla on
Letkis tanssi nuorison
Tietää mannermaa nyt saa kuinka jenkka suomalainen valloittaa
Ken letkassa kestä ei sen varmaan pikku-hukka vei
Jenkkaamme letkaamaan ei heikko päät saa tullakkaan
Letkis tanssi nuorison
Letkis maailmalla on
Lentää valtamerten taa siellä letkis on se joka valloittaa
I Giganti – Lasciati baciare col letkiss (and another)
Pallavicini, V. – Lindstrom, E. 1965
- Italian
Per ballare il letkiss
non c’e molto da imparare
lasciati baciare
lasciati baciare
qualche passo indietro
poi ti devi avvicinare
lasciati baciare
col letkiss
Io questa sera
con la scusa di ballare
ti potrò baciare
ti potrò baciare
qualche passo indietro
poi mi devo avvicinare
lasciati baciare
col letkiss
Se ci vogliamo
veramente divertir
non c’è una danza
più carina del letkiss
con un sorriso e con una canzon
felice con me sarai
Io questa sera
con la scusa di ballare
ti potrò baciare
ti potrò baciare
qualche passo indietro
poi mi devo avvicinare
lasciati baciare
col letkiss
| And finally the neo letkis of Darling on Youtube
(Another version by Shark and Kubic) |
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Dub dub dubi dubi dub (4x)
I’m a girl from round the corner
I’m funny, I really can dance too
Don’t you be too, too shy
Letkiss with me, for a while
[Refrain:]
I like Letkiss
Dub dub dubi dubi dub (4x)
I like Letkiss
Dub dub dubi dubi dub (4x)
Letkiss, that’s the name of the dance
Just try for a while, so you have the chance
To check out, what’s the dance all about
Then let it out Letkiss
Letkiss of love
I’m one of the girls from round the corner
I like to talk when there’s something to talk about
Talk things crazy, talk things wild
Talking about Letkiss for a while
[Refrain] (2x)
Letkiss, that’s the name of the dance
Just try for a while, so you have the chance
To check out, what’s the dance all about
Then let it out Letkiss
Letkiss of love
I’m one of the girls from round the corner
I like to talk when there’s something to talk about
Talk things crazy, talk things wild
Talking about Letkiss for a while
Helsinki-Letkis (Isn’t available on Youtube, but is the 5th of the songs in the mix Helsingin kesä by Timo Santala / We Love Helsinki.)
Composer Kärki Toivo Pietari Johannes
Lyricist Puhtila Sauvo Niilo Pellervo
Kalaoja Katri Helena Parlophone par 951 ( 45 ) arr.Petersen Jörgen 12.04.1965
Kalaoja Katri Helena Top voice top 13 ( 45 ) arr. Petersen Jörgen 12.04.1965
Kalaoja Katri Helena Fazer finnlevy 3984-21043 2
Luxembourg won the Eurovision song contest of 1965 with Gainsbourg’s Poupée de cire, poupée de son (sung by France Gall). It was re-recorded in Finnish by Ritva Palukka. Here is a version of the song by Katri Helena. There is a jenka variation choreography on the music video. This letkajenkka became popular in German, Italian, and again, Japanese.
“Lettka jenka” a parody in Russian
Heimilch Jenka Haha, this is not a letkis, this is.. well, don’t watch if you detest stupid stuff.
A swinging version of the Bunny Hop is seen in the movie Cry-Baby (1990) with Johnny Depp.
Greek movie dance clip to a jenka song written by Mimis Plessas (Μια τρελλή, τρελλή οικογένεια / “Mia treli, treli oikogeneia” A crazy, crazy family)
Another Mimis Plessas jenka in a Greek movie: Poolside letkadance
Sources:
YLE Areena: http://www.google.fi/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBQQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fyle.fi%2Felavaarkisto%2F%3Fs%3Ds%26a%3D5782&ei=6FJITP-kOcbesAaS8sWqDw&usg=AFQjCNG4ucwvdShNyNsGR1MxcRifx4_U1Q (Luettu 21.6.2010)
Tangoa, rautalankaa ja paljon muuta sulassa sovussa. Vesa Kurkela Pomus.fi / Popmusiikin museo http://pomus.net/kehityslinjat/1960-1969
Youtube
http://koti.mbnet.fi/wdd/letkiss.htm (Luettu 22.7.2010)
After all, it is not surprising that there are books about Finnish design in Japanese – one can search for more Finnish related stuff in Japanese just by typing (or copying) フィンランド into the search engine. It was actually entertaining to look at what for example Google finds on that search string. Somehow it tells us how the Japanese see Finland. Who would have guessed Santa, Lapland, Aarikka, Iittala, Arabia, Marimekko, Moomin, the cathedrals and churches of Helsinki, big ferries to Sweden, old Russian coins, snow, salmiakki, wooden artifacts, kahvila Suomi are well documented? Haha.
Pikku Finland day21.6 was a surprise. First of all the place for the festival is Kanazawa, the city where I happened to live. The caption is about sausage being served, Iittala and Artek… 
So we have Kamome Shokudou (Kahvila Suomi) and the Japanese have カフェ＆レストラン キートス that is Kafe & Resutoran Kiitosu! Here’s 
(Blogged in Yuki-san’s blog 
.
Hoono soomi @ Engrish.com
