What are gyaru? (About the Slang, Fashion and History of Japan's Gyaru/Gal) | Japan Station 157/Ichimon Japan 52
Japan Station: A Podcast About Japanese Culture and Language
Release Date: 05/15/2025
What is "PLUS ALPHA?" The Meaning & Origin of the Japanese term purasu arufa/プラスアルファ | Japan Station 161
Japan Station: A Podcast About Japanese Culture and Language
On this episode of Japan Station, I break down what the Japanese term "plus alpha" (purasu arufa/プラスアルファ) means and its possible origins. 👉Topics Discussed What does "plus alpha" (purasu arufa/プラスアルファ) mean? How you use the Japanese term purasu arufa プラスアルファ The most popular etymology of the term of purasu arufa Real world examples of purasu arufa in use About what puramaizero means (プラマイゼロ) And much more! 👉Subscribe to the Podcast! 👉Support on Patreon & Ko-fi https://patreon.com/japankyo 👉Links, Videos,...
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The HISTORY of SUSHI (Dr. Eric C. Rath) | Japan Station 160
Japan Station: A Podcast About Japanese Culture and Language
On this episode of Japan Station, Dr. Eric C. Rath joins us to talk all about the history of what may be Japan's most famous cuisine: SUSHI! We discuss its origins, evolution and more! 👉Topics Discussed Where sushi came from Fermented sushi The meaning of sushi Sushi's Chinese origins Shiga Prefecture's funazushi Sushi in the Edo period Sushi in Japan's post war period Sushi in modern times About sashimi About Kamipai: The History of Sake And much more! 👉Subscribe to the Podcast! 👉Support on Patreon & Ko-fi https://patreon.com/japankyo 👉Links, Videos, Etc....
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I'm Walking Across KYŪSHŪ! About the Kyūshū Challenge | Japan Station 159
Japan Station: A Podcast About Japanese Culture and Language
On this episode of Japan Station, I talk about my upcoming walk across the island of Kyushu. This fall I will be walking roughly 500 km from Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture all the way down to Kagoshima as part of what I'm calling the Kyushu Challenge, part three of my ongoing Blind Japan Project. Listen to find out more and please consider coming on as a sponsor or supporting in any way you can! 👉Topics Discussed About the Kyushu Challenge When I will be walking from Iwakuni to Kagoshima as part of the Kyushu Challenge About the Tokaido Challenge and Miyajima Challenge About raising...
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Japanese Street Merchant Slang: 10 Words from Japan's Edo Merchants | Japan Station 158
Japan Station: A Podcast About Japanese Culture and Language
On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking about Japanese slang that traces its roots back to Edo and Meiji era street vendors. We're digging into the origins of words like deka, mappo, and even the infamous yabai. 👉Topics Discussed The etymology/origins of 10 words that trace their origins back to the Edo and Meiji Periods About the meaning and origins of sakura (サクラ) About the origins of deka (でか) About the origins of posharu (ぽしゃる) About the origins of mappo (まっぽ) About the origins...
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What are gyaru? (About the Slang, Fashion and History of Japan's Gyaru/Gal) | Japan Station 157/Ichimon Japan 52
Japan Station: A Podcast About Japanese Culture and Language
This episode of Japan Station is a re-broadcast of episode 52 of Ichimon Japan. On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What are gyaru? Topics Discussed What the term gyaru/gal means/refers to About the word gyaru How the word gyaru was used in Dragonball by Master Roshi What a kogyaru/kogal is About the singer Namie Amuro and her role in popularizing the gyaru subculture About Ayumi Hamasaki's influence on the gyaru subculture About the supposed but unconfirmed connection between the gyaru subculture and the American TV show Baywatch, as well as Pamela Anderson...
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Telling Time in the Edo Period! Obscure Japanese Vocabulary & Etymology | Japan Station 156
Japan Station: A Podcast About Japanese Culture and Language
On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking about vocabulary and phrases related to telling time during the Edo Period! This is a surprisingly deep and interesting topic no matter whether you're learning Japanese or not! 👉Topics Discussed What does oyatsu mean? (おやつ) What the origin of the word oyatsu is About the Edo Period time system How to tell time during Japan's Edo Period The names of the time divisions used during the Edo Period What does shirokujichū (四六時中) means The etymology/origin of the word shirokujichū (四六時中) What...
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Japan's DEADLY Treat: MOCHI Explained! | Japan Station 155
Japan Station: A Podcast About Japanese Culture and Language
On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking about one of Japan's most iconic foods: mochi. Learn all about the history, lore and consumption practices of this important Japanese food! 👉Topics Discussed About the history and origins of mochi What mochi is About how people eat mochi in Japan About yukimi daifuku/ice cream mochi About kagami mochi Where the word mochi might have come from About mochi making practices Why it is said there is a rabbit making mochi on the moon Old versus modern ways of making mochi About mochi-related deaths About the New Years holiday and mochi About how...
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Supernatural Stories from JAPAN (Kevin O'Shea) | Japan Station 154
Japan Station: A Podcast About Japanese Culture and Language
On this episode of Japan Station, supernatural stories, Japanese folklore, Japanese urban legends and more with Kevin O'Shea, host of the Supernatural Japan podcast. 👉Topics Discussed About the Supernatural Japan podcast About Ikuta Shrine's ghost story About the forest behind Ikuta Shrine in Kobe About exploring spooky places in Japan About the Hakkoda Mountain incident About auspicious animals like swallows and owls About Japanese urban legends like Kuchisake Onna and Teketeke About Hibagon About Japanese cryptids About Mossie, Japan's Lochness monster And more 👉Subscribe to the...
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Eikaiwa vs JET vs University Teaching: Which is the better English teaching job in Japan? | Japan Station 153 (Rebroadcast)
Japan Station: A Podcast About Japanese Culture and Language
Originally released on 3/21/2024 as pisode 80 of Ichimon Japan. On this episode of Ichimon Japan we talk about what the best kind of English teaching in Japan is: Eikaiwa, JET Programme (ALT) or university teacher. Topics Discussed What it is like working in an eikaiwa school in Japan What the salary is for an eikaiwa teacher The good and bad about working at an eikaiwa school (private language school) What it is like being an assistant language teacher (ALT) on the JET Programme How much you can earn while on the JET Program The good and bad about being on the JET Program What it is...
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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
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...
info_outlineThis episode of Japan Station is a re-broadcast of episode 52 of Ichimon Japan.
On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What are gyaru?
Topics Discussed
- What the term gyaru/gal means/refers to
- About the word gyaru
- How the word gyaru was used in Dragonball by Master Roshi
- What a kogyaru/kogal is
- About the singer Namie Amuro and her role in popularizing the gyaru subculture
- About Ayumi Hamasaki's influence on the gyaru subculture
- About the supposed but unconfirmed connection between the gyaru subculture and the American TV show Baywatch, as well as Pamela Anderson
- About the iconic "loose socks" (lūzusokkusu)
- About E.G. Smith, the supposed origin of loose socks
- An interesting linguistic quirk about the Japanese term for "loose socks"
- About ganguro and yamanba gyaru and their dark tans
- About ageha gyaru
- The connection between gyaru, eurobeat and parapara
- What eurobeat is
- What parapara is
- Contemporary gyaru
- What gyarugo is
- Examples of popular gyaru slang
- What karipaku means
- What MK5 means
- What ChōSW means
- What sumisu means
- What ATM means
- What gachi means
- What agepoyo/sagepoyo mean
- What doron means
- What tehepero means
- What gekiokopunpunmaru means
- And much more!
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If you enjoy Ichimon Japan and want to ensure that we're able to produce more episodes, then please consider becoming a patron on Patreon.com. You can join for just $1 a month and that comes with perks like early access to episodes, a shout-out at the beginning of a future episode, bonus content, and discounts to Kimito Designs. For $3 a month you get all that plus access to Japanese Plus Alpha, a podcast produced by me (Tony Vega) that focuses on the Japanese language and its many quirks. Whether you are studying Japanese or just enjoy learning about language and linguistics, you'll enjoy Japanese Plus Alpha.
And it goes without saying that if you sign up, you'll also get my undying gratitude. Thanks in advance!
Sources, Links, Videos, Etc.
Here are some of the Japanese language articles found when researching the topic of this episode.
- ヤマンバ、イベサー、ガングロ…ギャル・ギャル男はどこに消えたのか？ 【 「ギャル文化」と「渋谷」をめぐる歴史を紐解く】
- ギャル文化特集～ギャルの歴史と生態～
- This is the article that has the illustrations of the gyaru that Ryan mentions during the episode.
- ガングロ
- ギャル系ファッションとは。ブランドと歴史【イラスト＆図解
- アラサーしかわからない！？90年代のギャル語クイズ
- 歴代ギャル流行語大賞／年代流行
Here's some of the English language sources read for this episode.
Here's a Japanese documentary about gyaru. Definitely worth a watch if you understand Japanese.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aunp-hOLNc
In this video you can see the 150 cm long loose socks that were mentioned in the episode.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e-iaDIOpR8
Here's a TV from 1996 about loose socks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUiGLAXNamo
Here is a video from 2020 in which a Japanese YouTuber tries to get girls in Shibuya to put on loose socks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DokhMaT3MeE
To check out the "snakes in a well" episode of Ichimon Japan, use the link below.
Don't forget to check out the latest episodes of the Japan Station podcast via the links below.
Support the show by picking up a t-shirt at KimitoDesigns.com.
Japanese Vocabulary List
Most episodes feature at least one or two interesting Japanese words or phrases. Here’s some of the ones that came up on this episode. All information is from Jim Breen's WWWJDIC.
- Pichipichi
- ぴちぴち (adv-to,vs) (1) (on-mim) bursting with youth and energy (esp. young woman); vivaciously young; spunky; energetic; (adv-to) (2) (on-mim) (fish) jumping around energetically (e.g. when caught in a net); (adj-no) (3) (on-mim) bursting (e.g. seams); tight; (adv-to) (4) (on-mim) splattering (e.g. cooking oil)
We Want Your Questions
Is there something about Japan that confuses you? Is there something about Japanese culture that you would like to learn more about? Is there something in Japanese history that you would like us to explain? We're always looking for new questions about Japan to answer, so if you have one, please send it to [email protected].
Special Thanks
Opening/Closing Theme: Produced by Apol (YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Fiverr)
Ichimon Japan cover art: Produced by Erik R.