My Neighbor Totoro – Azumi Inoue | 1988

となりのトトロ [Tonari No Totoro]
井上あずみ [INOUE Azumi]
Words : 宮崎駿 [MIYAZAKI Hayao]
Music : 久石譲 [HISAISHI Joe]

“My Neighbor Totoro ^web” (となりのトトロ / Tonari no Totoro) is an animated film produced by Studio Ghibli, released in 1988. The story is set in 1950s Japan and follows the adventures of the Kusakabe family sisters, Satsuki and Mei, who move to the countryside and encounter a mysterious creature named Totoro, said to be visible only to children.
This article discusses the theme song of the same name.
There is also an English version, but today, please enjoy the original version. The lyrics were written by none other than director Hayao Miyazaki.

There is no traditional mythical creature named “Totoro,” nor is it a word found in any dictionary.

トトロトトロトトロトトロ
totoro totoro totoro totoro

だれかがこっそり
dareka ga kossori
小路に木の実うずめて
komichi ni konomi uzumete
ちっさな芽生えたら
chissana me haetara

誰か（だれか） [dareka] : someone
こっそり [kossori] : secretly
小路（こみち） [komichi] : alley
木の実（このみ） [konomi] : nut
うずめる [uzumeru] : to bury
ちいさな・ちっさな [chiisana / chissana] : small
芽（め） [me] : sprout
生える（はえる） [haeru] : to sprout

(translation) “If someone secretly
buries nuts in the alley
and small sprouts appear…”

In the film, there is a scene where acorns are buried and sprouts grow, which is quite fantastical.

秘密の暗号
himitsu no angō
森へのパスポート
mori e no pasupōto
すてきな冒険はじまる
suteki na bōken hajimaru

秘密（ひみつ） [himitsu] : secret
暗号（あんごう） [angō] : code
森（もり） [mori] : forest
パスポート [pasupōto] : passport
素敵な（すてきな） [suteki na] : wonderful
冒険（ぼうけん） [bōken] : adventure
始まる（はじまる） [hajimaru] : begin

(translation) “A secret code
A passport to the forest
A wonderful adventure begins”

となりのトトロトトロトトロトトロ
tonari no totoro totoro totoro totoro
森の中にむかしから住んでる
mori no naka ni mukashi kara sunderu

となり [tonari] : neighbor
中（なか） [naka] : inside
むかし [mukashi] : long ago
住む（すむ） [sumu] : live

(translation) “My Neighbor Totoro, Totoro, Totoro, Totoro
has lived in the forest since long ago.”

“となり / tonari” can be translated as “neighbor,” but it more accurately refers to “the next house.” The word “tonari” may not be precisely correct, but it sounds cute as a title.

となりのトトロトトロトトロトトロ
tonari no totoro totoro totoro totoro
子供のときにだけあなたに訪れる
kodomo no toki ni dake anata ni otozureru
不思議な出会い
fushigi na deai

子供（こども） [kodomo] : child
時（とき） [toki] : time
だけ [dake] : only
あなた [anata] : you
訪れる（おとずれる） [otozureru] : visit
不思議（ふしぎ） [fushigi] : mysterious
出会い（であい） [deai] : encounter

雨ふりバス停
amefuri basutei
ズブヌレオバケがいたら
zubunure obake ga itara
あなたの雨ガサさしてあげましょう
anata no amagasa sashite agemashō

雨降り（あめふり） [amefuri] : rainy
バス停（ばすてい） [basutei] : bus stop
ずぶ濡れ（ずぶぬれ） [zubunure] : soaking wet
おばけ [obake] : ghost
いる [iru] : exist
雨傘（あまがさ） [amagasa] : umbrella
さす [sasu] : hold (an umbrella)

(translation) “On a rainy day at the bus stop,
if there’s a soaking wet ghost,
let’s hold your umbrella over it”

This was also an iconic scene. The mysterious minimalistic music by Joe Hisaishi is also wonderful.

森へのパスポート
mori e no pasupōto
魔法の扉あきます
mahō no tobira akimasu

魔法（まほう） [mahō] : magic
扉（とびら） [tobira] : door
開く（あく） [aku] : open

(translation) “A passport to the forest
The magic door opens”

となりのトトロトトロトトロトトロ
tonari no totoro totoro totoro totoro
月夜の晩にオカリナ吹いてる
tsukiyo no ban ni okarina fuiteiru

月夜（つきよ） [tsukiyo] : moonlit night
晩（ばん） [ban] : night
オカリナ [okarina] : ocarina
吹く（ふく） [fuku] : blow ,play (a wind instrument)

(translation) “My Neighbor Totoro, Totoro, Totoro, Totoro
on a moonlit night, plays the ocarina.”

となりのトトロトトロトトロトトロ
tonari no totoro totoro totoro totoro
もしも会えたならすてきなしあわせが
moshimo aetanara suteki na shiawase ga
あなたに来るわ
anata ni kuru wa

もしも [moshimo] : if
会う（あう） [au] : meet
しあわせ [shiawase] : happiness
くる [kuru] : come

(translation) “My Neighbor Totoro, Totoro, Totoro, Totoro
If you ever meet him, wonderful happiness will come to you.”

となりのトトロトトロトトロトトロ
tonari no totoro totoro totoro totoro
森の中にむかしから住んでる
mori no naka ni mukashi kara sunderu
となりのトトロトトロトトロトトロ
tonari no totoro totoro totoro totoro
子供のときにだけあなたに訪れる
kodomo no toki ni dake anata ni otozureru
不思議な出会い
fushigi na deai

トトロトトロトトロトトロ
totoro totoro totoro totoro
トトロトトロトトロトトロ…
totoro totoro totoro totoro…

This anime film doesn’t have a particularly obvious plot, but it beautifully depicts nostalgic Japanese landscapes and nature. Personally, it’s my favorite Studio Ghibli work.

t seems that it will be shown in cinemas in the UK and Ireland starting from August 2nd. I hope many people around the world get the chance to see it. If you do watch it, I recommend watching the subtitled version. The voice actor for the father is Shigesato Itoi, a copywriter, and his acting is not very good (but that’s part of the charm). And here’s the wonderful tagline he came up with for this movie:
“These strange creatures still exist in Japan. Probably.”