Jugemu (寿限無) is a Japanese folktale and is one of the most famous stories in rakugo, a form of Japanese spoken entertainment. It has a simple storyline, with the most humorous part being the repetition of a ridiculously long name. It is often used in training sessions for Rakugo entertainers.
In the tale, a couple could not think of a suitable name for their newborn baby boy, and so the father went to the temple and asked the chief priest to think of an auspicious name. The priest suggested several names, beginning with Jugemu. The father could not decide which name he preferred and, therefore, gave the baby all of the names. One day, Jugemu got into a fight with a friend, and the friend suffers a large bump on his head, so he goes crying to Jugemu's parents, but due to the amount of time it takes to recite his name, the bump on his head disappears.
One other version of the legend states that one day, Jugemu fell into a lake, and his parents barely arrived in time to save him as everyone who had to pass along the news had to spend a lot of time reciting his entire name.
Jugemu's full name is:
Jugemu Jugemu
(寿限無、寿限無)Gokō-no surikire
(五劫の擦り切れ)Kaijarisuigyo-no
(海砂利水魚の)Suigyōmatsu Unraimatsu Fūraimatsu
(水行末 雲来末 風来末)Kuunerutokoro-ni Sumutokoro
(食う寝る処に住む処)Yaburakōji-no burakōji
(やぶら小路の藪柑子)Paipopaipo Paipo-no-shūringan
(パイポパイポ パイポのシューリンガン)Shūringan-no Gūrindai
(シューリンガンのグーリンダイ)Gūrindai-no Ponpokopī-no Ponpokonā-no
(グーリンダイのポンポコピーのポンポコナーの)Chōkyūmei-no Chōsuke
(長久命の長助)JugemuLiterally "limitless life".
Go kō no surikireLiterally "five
kō (totaling 20 billion years) of rubbing off (the rock)". In Japanese legend, a heavenly maiden will visit the human world every three thousand years, leaving friction marks on a rock with her dress. It takes five
kō or five times 4 billion years to split up the rock with the rubbing. The priest blesses the child to live that long.
Kaijari suigyoLiterally "gravel in the sea and
fish in water". The amount of gravel and number of fish in the world is meant to represent the degree of the child's luck and fortune.
SuigyōmatsuLiterally "where water eventually goes". Because water is free to go anywhere, the child is blessed with boundless well-being wherever he goes.
UnraimatsuLiterally "where clouds originally come". Because clouds come from anywhere, this is similar to the above.
FūraimatsuLiterally "where wind originally comes". Similar to the above.
KuunerutokoroLiterally "places to eat and sleep". It is fortunate to be have both food and shelter.
SumutokoroLiterally "places to live". Same as above.
Yaburakōji-no burakōjiLiterally "
Ardisia japonica bushes in Yabura Trail". The plant's modern Japanese name is
yabukōji, and it is considered to be imbued with energy year-round. "Yabura" has no inherent meaning but is inferred to be
yabukōji with the pluralizing
ra suffix.
Paipo, Shūringan, Gūrindai, Ponpokopī, PonpokonāThese are invented names of a kingdom and royal family in ancient China. Paipo was a rich and peaceful kingdom, where King Shūringan and his queen Gūrindai reigned. They gave birth to Princess Ponpokopī and Princess Ponpokonā, and all of them enjoyed longevity. These names, while not sounding particularly Chinese, sound foreign even to Japanese, and can be seen as satirical towards the complexity of classical Chinese names.
ChōkyūmeiLiterally "long and lasting life".
ChōsukeLiterally "blessed for a long time".
