Japanese Slang - arafou - Around 40

Japanese slang learning time.

Just before I left Tokyo I was introduced to the following katakana slang.

アラサー (arasaa).

“arafou” is an abbreviation for the phrase, アラフォー (the katakana rendition of “around fouty”), and refers to the age group of 35 to 44.

Like many things in Japanese pop culture, this phrase came from a TV Drama. The drama is called Around Forty - Women With Lots of Demands (my translation, the official title is “Around Forty - アラフォー?”. The other phrase, “arasaa” is not from the drama, but has become popular to refer to people who are around 30 years old. I assume it’s something like 25 to 35. That would include me.

The website for the Around Forty Drama describes the Around 40 generation as those women (yes, it only applies to women apparently) who grew up in the 80’s, and experienced the establishment of the Law for Equal Employment Opportunities Between Men and Women when they were in their teens. They graduated university and were looking for jobs right at the peek of Japan’s bubble economy, and after working hard thus delaying marriage they were labeled “負け犬” or, the beaten dog (refers to women who are 30 and still not married). They were also the generation in which it became possible for women to work, and raise kids.Women from this generation lead many different lifestyles, have varying values, and have many options available to them. These many options, however, also gives them many things to worry about.

I have never seen the drama, and probably never will. I’m not a fan! If you do want to see it though, check 10 pm on Fridays on TBS. Here is an Around 40 commercial on YouTube.

I do like the アラサー phrase though!

More on Around Thirty women and the fashion they chose on web-japan.org.

- Harvey