This popular Japanese children’s song is often sung while playing with a bouncing ball. The title Anta Gata Doko Sa means “where are you from?” The first half is an answer to that question (“I am from Higo.” “Where is Higo?” “It is in Kumamoto. It is in Senba.”), and the second half describes the tannuki, a raccoon-like creature that roams around Mount Senba. How many songs can claim to cover this kind of ground?

For this version, we added a verse answering this same question using Brooklyn and New York City. Many thanks to special guest Ikue Mori for adding electronics in the song, which sound to me like a futuristic bouncing ball and previously unheard of creatures. Leyna sings this one, joined by her son Masumi.

SONG LYRICS AND TRANSLATION