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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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