What is the puppet TV show Taeko was watching?
The show is called “Hyokkori Hyotanjima” (Popped-up Gourd Island). It was an immensely popular children’s show at that time (1966). Several characters that appeared in the film were amazingly realistic. The theme song of the show was also very popular. We see Taeko getting over her disappointment, singing this song with the refrain “We don’t want to cry, so let’s laugh – Go ahead!” For other cultural aspects of this movie, see the script.
