Urban Legends / Rituals

Tomino's Hell

There is a popular Japanese story about a poem called Tomino's Hell. They say you should only read this in your head and never out loud. If you were to read it out loud, then you must take responsibility for your actions. It is by Yomota Inuhiko. There is no background on how this rumour started but it comes with a warning: Tragic things will happen. It seems to be a curse . If you are to read this out loud it is better to read it in Japanese than a translation.

(Japanese version)

Tomino no Jigoku

ane wa chi wo haku, imoto wa hibaku

kawaii Tomino wa tama wo haku

hitori Jigoku ni ochiyuku Tomino

Jigoku kurayami hana mo naki

muchi de tataku wa Tomino no ane ka

muchi no shubusa ga ki ni kakaru

tatakeya tatakiyare tatakazu totemo

mugen Jigoku wa hitotsu michi

kurai Jigoku e anai wo tanomu

kane no hitsuji ni uguisu ni

kawa no fukuro niya ikura hodo ireyo

mugen Jigoku no tabijitaku

haru ga kite soro hayashi ni tani ni

kurai Jigoku tani nana magari

kago niya uguisu kuruma niya hitsuji

kawaii Tomino no me niya namida

nakeyo ugisu hayashi no ame ni

imouto koishi to koe kagiri

nakeba kodama ga Jigoku ni hibiki

kitsune botan no hana ga saku

Jigoku nanayama nanatani meguru

kawaii Tomino no hitoritabi

Jigoku gozaraba mote kite tamore

hari no oyama no tomehari wo

akai tomehari date ni wa sasanu

kawaii Tomino no mejirushini

(English version)

Tomino's Hell

his older sister vomited blood his younger sister vomited fire

and the cute Tomino vomited glass beads

Tomino fell into hell alone

hell is wrapped in darkness and even the flowers don't bloom

is the person with the whip Tomino's older sister

I wonder whose blood is on it

hit hit without hitting

infinite hell's one road

would you lead him to the dark hell

to the sheep of gold to the bush warbler

fit as much as you can into the leather sack

for the preparation of the journey in the familiar hell

spring is coming even in the forest and the stream

even in the seven valley streams of the dark hell

the bush warbler in the birdcage the sheep in the wagon

tears in the eyes of cute Tomino

cry bush warbler toward the raining forest

he shouts that he misses his little sister

the crying echo still reverberates thoughout hell

the fox penoy blooms

circling around hells seven mountains and seven sreams

the lonely journey of cute Tomino

if they're in hell bring them to me

the needle of the graves

I wont pierce with the red needle

in the milestones of little Tomino