3高

• 読み: さんこう
• ローマ字: sankou
• 漢字の分解: 3 (three) + 高 (high) → three highs: 高身長 (tall), 高収入 (high income), 高学歴 (highly educated)
• 発音: /saɴ.koː/

意味

The three highs — the ideal male partner criteria from the bubble era: tall (高身長), high income (高収入), and highly educated (高学歴).

A relic of Japan's bubble economy era (1980s-early 1990s), 3高 described the ideal husband material: tall, rich, and well-educated. While the term is now somewhat dated and used ironically, the underlying criteria still influence modern 婚活 culture. Some people joke that today's version has shifted to different priorities like personality and work-life balance.

例文

1. 3高にこだわってたら一生結婚できないよ。
2. 母親世代って3高が理想って本気で言ってたらしい。
3. 3高はもう古いって言われるけど、年収は気になるよね。

使い方ガイド

場面: friends, dating discussion, 婚活 talk

トーン: nostalgic, ironic

正しい言い方

• 3高とか今どき言う人いるの？ (Does anyone still talk about the three highs these days?)
• 3高の時代はもう終わったよね。 (The era of the three highs is over, right?)

避ける言い方

• 婚活中の人に「3高じゃないとダメ？」は失礼 (Asking someone who's marriage hunting 'do they have to meet the three highs?' is rude)

よくある間違い

• Using 3高 seriously in modern context — it's now mostly used ironically or to describe outdated standards

起源と歴史

Emerged during Japan's bubble economy era (late 1980s) as women's ideal marriage criteria. The three highs are 高身長 (tall), 高収入 (high income), and 高学歴 (highly educated). Now used mostly nostalgically or ironically.

文化的背景

時代: Late 1980s bubble era, now nostalgic/ironic

世代: Known by all, coined by baby boomers

社会的背景: Originally upper-middle class aspirational

地域メモ: Known across Japan as a cultural reference point. Represents a specific era of Japanese economic confidence and marriage expectations.