1.
bamboo pole; long bamboo stick used for hanging laundry or as a tool
A long pole made of bamboo, traditionally used for hanging laundry to dry outdoors. Also used for reaching high places, fishing, and other purposes.
竿竹に洗濯物を干す。
To hang laundry on a bamboo pole.
古くなった竿竹を新しいものに交換した。
I replaced the old bamboo pole with a new one.
住宅街を「竿竹ー、竿竹ー」と売り歩くトラックの声が聞こえてきた。
I could hear the voice from a truck going through the residential area selling bamboo poles, calling out 'Saodake, saodake.'
A compound of 竿 (pole, rod) + 竹 (bamboo). In Japan, outdoor laundry drying using 竿竹 or metal poles is still the norm in many households. Modern laundry poles are often made of stainless steel or aluminum rather than actual bamboo, but the word 竿竹 persists.
CULTURAL NOTE:
The 竿竹屋 (bamboo pole seller) is a distinctive feature of Japanese neighborhoods — trucks slowly drive through residential areas broadcasting recorded calls of 「竿竹ー」 to sell replacement laundry poles. The book 『なぜ、あの竿竹屋はつぶれないのか？』 became a bestselling business book exploring why this seemingly unprofitable business model survives.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 竿竹に干す: to hang (laundry) on a bamboo pole
- 竿竹屋: bamboo pole seller
- 物干し竿: clothes-drying pole (synonym)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 物干し竿: clothes-drying pole — the general term for a laundry pole, regardless of material
- 竹竿: bamboo pole — same characters reversed; more general, not specifically for laundry
- 竿: pole; rod — the base word, also used for fishing rods