Oyaji Gyagu: Japanese Dad Jokes That Kids Secretly Love

In Japan, wordplay jokes are a big part of daily humor—especially for dads and older men. These kinds of puns are called “Oyaji Gyagu” (親父ギャグ), which means “old man jokes.” They’re full of clever (and sometimes cheesy!) plays on sound, often involving similar-sounding words with different meanings. Another type of wordplay is called “Dajare”, which can be made by anyone and doesn’t have to come from a dad!

While Oyaji Gyagu might not always get big laughs—many Japanese people actually say they’re not very funny—they’re still loved for their cleverness. Some people say foreigners can get away with using them more easily, because they show how well someone understands the Japanese language and kanji-based double meanings.

What Makes Oyaji Gyagu Funny (or Not)?

These jokes often rely on:

• Homophones (words that sound the same but mean different things)

• Word combinations that create a new or unexpected meaning

• Kanji switches, where the same sound is written with different characters

Older men (oyaji) are said to make these jokes more often, maybe because they’ve had more time to play with kanji and vocabulary. But making too many of these jokes can make someone seem a little out of touch, like they don’t notice if the listener is laughing… or cringing!

Famous Oyaji Gyagu Examples

Here are some classic examples of Oyaji Gyagu loved (or groaned at) across Japan:

• ふっとんがふっとんだ (Futton ga futton da) – “The futon flew away.”

• ぼっちゃんが川にボチャン (Bocchan ga kawa ni bochan) – “The boy went splash in the river.”

• レモンのいれもん (Remon no iremon) – “A container for a lemon.”

• アルミ缶の上にあるみかん (Arumi kan no ue ni aru mikan) – “A mandarin orange on top of an aluminum can.”

• イランは何もいらん (Iran wa nanimo iran) – “Iran doesn’t need anything.”

Mixed Puns: Oyaji Gyagu + Dajare

Some puns combine both types of humor and are fun little tongue twisters. Here are a few playful examples from everyday situations:

• あかちゃんはすごくおとなしい。なかなか泣かないし。
  (The baby is so calm. They hardly cry— nakanaka nakanai.)

• ごきぶりのごきぶんがいい
  (The cockroaches in this messy house seem to be in a good mood— gokiburi no gokibun.)

• ひさジブリ
  (Long time no see… Let’s watch a Ghibli movie. Yeah, it’s been a hisa-jiburi!)

• ４時の用事がある
  (Let’s meet at 4? – No, I have 4 o’clock plans: yoji no youji.)

• とくにまっくろなまくら
  (I liked this hotel, especially the pitch-black pillow: makuro na makura.)

• 新大はしんどい
  (Climbing up to Shindai is tiring— Shindai wa shindoi.)

• にいがたはにいがて
  (I always go to Niigata for work… but I’m not good at Niigata!)

• タオルはたおれた
  (The towel fell over— taoru wa taoreta.)

• めろんはめろめろ
  (The melon is all soft and melty— meron wa meromero.)

• Jアル？
  (Is there a JR station here? – Yes! J Aru!)

• 好きな菓子の好きなお菓子はおかしい
  (My favorite singer’s favorite snack is strange— okashii!)

• TRI-STATEって知ってる？
  (Yes, I know those three “states”: that ticket, this ticket, and the other ticket.)

• 有馬温泉はありますか？有馬温泉は有馬しかありません
  (Where is Arima Onsen? Well, Arima Onsen is only in Arima!)

Want to Try Making Your Own Japanese Puns?

Learning wordplay is a great way to get more comfortable with sounds, vocabulary, and rhythm in Japanese. It builds a sense of humor in the language—and that’s a sign of growing fluency!

For kids, playing with language is one of the best ways to remember it.

Learn and Laugh with Dinolingo’s Japanese Program

Want your child to start learning Japanese in a fun, engaging way? Try Dinolingo’s Japanese program specially made for ages 2 to 14. With interactive videos, songs, games, storybooks, worksheets, and playful activities, kids can build real vocabulary while having fun.

Dinolingo includes:

• Age-specific learning paths

• Offline printables and flashcards

• A parent dashboard to track progress

• Access on web, iOS, and Android

• One subscription for up to 6 children and 50+ languages

Who knows? Maybe one day, your child will be telling oyaji gyagu in perfect Japanese!