3高

• Reading: さんこう
• Romaji: sankou
• Kanji breakdown: 3 (three) + 高 (high) → three highs: 高身長 (tall), 高収入 (high income), 高学歴 (highly educated)
• Pronunciation: /saɴ.koː/

Meaning

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.

Examples

1. 3高にこだわってたら一生結婚できないよ。 If you insist on the three highs, you'll never get married.
2. 母親世代って3高が理想って本気で言ってたらしい。 Apparently my mom's generation seriously believed the three highs were the ideal.
3. 3高はもう古いって言われるけど、年収は気になるよね。 People say the three highs are outdated, but you still care about income, right?

Usage Guide

Context: friends, dating discussion, 婚活 talk

Tone: nostalgic, ironic

Do Say

• 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?)

Don't Say

• 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)

Common Mistakes

• Using 3高 seriously in modern context — it's now mostly used ironically or to describe outdated standards

Origin & History

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.

Cultural Context

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

Generation: Known by all, coined by baby boomers

Social background: Originally upper-middle class aspirational

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