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:

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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)

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

Le Letkiss – Anton Letkiss 45 T (EP 4 titles) Barkclay 72.639, France (Unknown year / sixties)

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

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)

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)

There are also sora-mimi in other languages, and as I focus mainly on the Japanese and Finnish culture, I will remind of these songs that are sung in Japanese but sound like Finnish.

Lollin vei on Youtube
Hironobu Kageyama’s Lonely Way a.k.a. “Lollin vei” (Meros no Youn Live – Super Robot Spirits 99) and also Hironobu Kageyama’s　鳥人戦隊ジェットマン　Choujin Sentai Jetman = Aviator or Birdman squadron jet man/ Jetto Man a.k.a. “Ghetto Man”, and Vajra on! a.k.a Kenkiin, the first “translated-into-Finnish” song. Many Finnish newspapers and tabloids have noticed the popularity of the Finnish “subtitles” or sora-mimi in their leisure and culture sections.

Lyrics for Lonely Way in Japanese (Requires support for Japanese charachters)

Kenkiin on Youtube

Japanese lyrics for Vajra On (Requires support for Japanese charachters)

Ghetto Man on Youtube

Lyrics in Japanese for Jetto Man (Requires support for Japanese charachters)

Just a Raper on Youtube

Huh, Just a Raper, that is 幻星神ジャスティライザー Genseishin Justiriser with Japanese lyrics.

And finally, Kimil’ on Corolla… You know, the Finnish F1 driver Kimi Räikkönen, may soon be driving a Toyota…Kimil on Corolla

with lyrics (光戦隊マスクマン Hikari sentai masuku　man = Light squadron mask man).

日本人に

Kenkiinはフインランド語で「靴の中に」。Kimil on Corollaはフインランド語で「キミ（男の名前）はトヨタCorollaがある」。

I would have liked to find more of viili, acidofilus / lactobacillus products, piimä, xylitol – just to name a few. No Eliel Saarinen, not much Alvar Aalto. But true, this was only Google. I found some funny ones, though.

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…

I also found a calling card I received in Japan: Café Kiitos (Thank you in Finnish).
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 anohter blog entry on kafe Kiitosu.

What’s more, there is a bakery by the same name:
(Blogged in Yuki-san’s blog Another Time).

And if I do kumihimo, there is Finnish himmeli straw craft in Japanese:

From the category Finnish horror stories, メンミ = mämmi, the black stuff fermented from
blogged by “Malion” form Japan: If you can’t understand the Japanese description of this traumatic event, look at the numerous smilies .

Hoono soomi @ Engrish.com

Muutoin saitti on kyllä ihan viihdyttävä, siis niin kauan kuin voi nauraa muiden virheille.    Omat eivät niin naurattaneetkaan. Kuka tekee noin huonoa jälkeä!!?? Eipä ole varaa enää hihitellä engrishille…

[Photo: Jakke. Path to Lammassaari]

A short person, all I could see for 20 minutes, was grass. Halfway, there was a platform from where I could see the beautiful city skyline in the evening sun. After a while we heard a voice coming from the grass, reciting old thruths about social dancing in the olden days. The player was hidden so it was a surprise – an “experience”, as the organizers called it.

[Photo: Jakke. Pohjolan Pirtti / Koitto]

When arriving at the site we were greeted by Mustalaisprimas plays blonde, a blond violinist playing outside the century-old red villa originally a social club for a sobriety society. No alcohol was to be sold, but we were well prepared. There were some other performances, as well. A band called The Barn Sparrows (Musiikkia syvästä/-ltä etelästä) entertained us with music from the deep south or from deep … and as last year, also Granny (Mummo) had a word or two to tell us.

[Photo: Jakke. Antti the musician peeking]

[Photo: Jakke. Guests and hosts]

“Jyrki Katainen”, both a female and a male version greeted everybody and reminded us to make a deposit – to buy badges and neckties to support the band.

[Photo: Jakke. Mr. Playback Boy]

The show inside started with Mr. Playback Boy, the only Drag King I’ve ever seen. I’m soo in love with him (her). Mr. Playback Boy is Laura , a “theater and music professional” as she calls herself.

[Photo: Jakke. Mr. Playback Boy = Laura Murtomaa]

(S)he was the slimiest latino ever, the playboy evergreen singer, the obscene pop star, a frustrated base vocalist in an acappella group, a pompous male choir member, and finally, a director of orchestra.

[Photo: Jakke. Vallilan Tango]

After a short while of dance instruction, the band started to play, and people floodedon the dance floor. Vallilan Tango is this strange but excellent band featuring among other things, a vocalist who sings in broken English or broken Finnish as I think he is Dutch. And, they excel in Finnish tango, although they play cha cha, waltz, fox, and even polka, too.

As the villa is old and has no heating, it was chilly when I first arrived. I had to change clothes halfway in the night, as I was soaking wet, and it wasn’t the slight rainfall we got that night.. The Youngest R had found me a pussikalja somebody forgot in the bus, so I drank my present – I was so thirsty I didn’t care what it was.

There are more pics and even more to come. All photos are taken by Jakke. To contact Jakke, leave a comment.

There are more photos of the event by Jakke. These require you to log in to Facebook.
These are in Picasa (Isle of Sheep 2008) / Reeta Viljakainen.
These are also in Picasa (Isle of Sheep 2007) / user: Christian
Also Isle of Sheep 2007 photos by Jungle/Arctic at Flickr

Futuro village:

Dome village:

There are interesting dome houses, spherical, round and even revolving houses around the globe (pun intended), not to mention all sorts of traditional habitats like huts (Africa, Celtic etc.), teepees, Sami fur kota teepees, yurts, and of course, igloos. This dome house in Hakui, Nooto hantoo (Nooto peninsula, Japan) was photographed by me in 2006.

Recently, the Futuro sold at Christie’s for €140,000 (¥23,200,000 or $210,600). The production has been discontinued, so the only way to acquire one is to buy a second hand Futuro.

A brand new Dome will sell at 3 million yen (under $30,000 or €18,100), but there are more expensive extended homes / public building solutions.

Futuro will arrive at your door step fully assembled. Only “legs” or supports and plumming, electricity etc. will need to be completed after transportation.


The Dome modules are assembled in a fraction of the time required to build a traditional house. The modules can be lifted by two or three people, and once the modules are snapped into place, the house is covered with plaster, painted, and customized.

Karaoke place in Suijin no mori.

Futuro will blend into the Finnish lake side landscape perfectly (?):

Interior of Futuro:

The interior is more versatile than in Futuro, which is always the same size, and not very spacious: The Dome can be used as a sauna, shop, bar, office, hotel etc. in addition to just being a home.

Some videos of Dome.

The Finnish Futuro and Japanese Dome are not the only round, dome etc. shaped or spherical houses. There are lots of ufos around. As this is not a blog dealing with architecture, here are links to non-Japanese and non-Finnish round houses.

Dymaxion
Sunspace Homes
Bulle“ à 6 coques
Kugelhaus
And a blog with unusual living solutions:
Flatrock
And you can always search for “dome home” or “dome house” “round house” “rotating house” “spinning house” or “revolving house” – lots of interesting images there.

	that a Japanese woman had thought Marimekko was perfect for sewing an obi.
	And what’s funny, obi means also stripe, not only belt or sash. So the bag (or fabric) is named OBI in Japanese. (Click on image to surf to seller.)

Well, we the round eyed, we like the Oriental stuff. But hey, Marimekko looks great as an obi, and evidently the cotton material is ok, too. Works well with a more modern kimono like this:

Wafuku (Japanese traditional clothing, e.g. kimono / yukata / obi) are not the only traditionally Japanese goods manufactured in Marimekko motifs. I need one of these Marimekko kotatsu covers:

If you don’t believe kotatsu covers are a big thing, visit the site by clicking on the image.