How a J-Pop Star's Stomach Hair Resulted in a NEW Japanese Word (The Origins of Gyarandu/ギャランドゥ) | Japan Station 152

Japan Station: A Podcast About Japanese Culture and Language

On this episode of Japan Station, I dig into the history of a fascinating example of Japanese slang: gyarandu (ギャランドゥ). This is a Japanese word that means refers to the patch of hair some people have between their belly button and public area. Often called "happy trail" or "belly/stomach hair," in English, gyarandu has a really interesting history that goes back to one of Japan's most popular 1980s male pop stars: Hideki Saijo. Listen to the episode to learn more!

👉Topics Discussed

• What does gyarandu (ギャランドゥ) mean?
• About the meaning of the 1983 Hideki Saijo song "Gyarandu"
• What the 1983 Saijo Hideki song "Gyarandu" is about
• How Saijo Hideki's song "Gyarandu" resulted in the creation of the Japanese slang term gyarandu
• About the etymology/word origin of gyarandu
• Who coined the term gyarandu
• Who wrote the 1983 song "Gyarandu"
• About Monta Yoshinori and his explanation of what "Gyarandu" means
• And more

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👉Links, Videos, Etc.

If you'd like to listen to a full version of Saijo Hideki's 1983 song "Gyarandu" (ギャランドゥ) you can do so below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yXpgBUshz8

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