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

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 👉Subscribe to the Podcast! Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/japan-station-a-podcast-by-japankyo-com/id1440454968 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6lDoFFt4M0HyyKaVeDyKkB 👉Support on Patreon & Ko-fi Support on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo Support on Ko-fi https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo 👉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 👉Follow on Social Media X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/japankyonews Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonyrvega The Anime Linguist YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@japankyonews Website: https://japankyo.com/ Tony R. Vega Personal X/Twitter: https://x.com/thevegatony  

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Helping you understand everything you should know about Japan. Interviews with Japan experts, deep dives into Japanese culture and society, and plenty of laughs; every episode host Tony R. Vega sheds light on a different aspect of Japan. Whether you're planning a visit to Japan, learning Japanese or just have a passion for all things Japan, we've got something for you! Common topics include ・Japanese culture ・Deep dives into the Japanese language ・Japanese history ・Japanese food ・Japan travel tips ・Japanese pop culture: anime, manga, movies, etc ・The stories of foreigners living in Japan ・And more! Episodes release on the 1st and 21st of the month. You can reach us via email: mail@japankyo.com About Tony R. Vega Tony R. Vega is the founder of JapanKyo.com, creator of The Anime Linguist YouTube channel, professional MC, and lifelong Japan enthusiast. He has a particular passion for the Japanese language which led him to obtain an M.A. in Japanese language and linguistics from the University of Hawaii. Tony is also legally blind and dedicated to raising awareness of the blind and visually impaired, as well as the problems these individuals face.