ウーパールーパー

Japanese

Etymology

A substitution for アホロートル (ahorōtoru, “axolotl”), which is homophonous with 阿呆老頭児 (aho rōtoru, literally “stupid old fart”). Coined as the name of a character promoting Nissin Foods' instant noodle brand UFO in 1985.^[1]

Jackpot, the company that trademarked the term (which romanized it as Wuper Ruper), stated that Shiki Oriori, the character's creator, named it adapting a phrase in a “local language” of Mexico that means “messenger of love”.^[2] Consequently, it is sometimes asserted to derive from Nahuatl for “messenger of love”.^[3]

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) ウーパールーパー [ùúpáárúꜜùpàà] (Nakadaka – [5])^[4]
IPA^(key): [ɯ̟ːpa̠ːɾɯ̟ːpa̠ː]

Noun

ウーパールーパー • (ūpārūpā)

(informal) an axolotl, especially an albino one

Synonyms

アホロートル (ahorōtoru)

Descendants

→ Korean: 우파루파 (uparupa)

References

^ Akira Kojima (28 June 2021), “「ウーパールーパー」を覚えていますか　“昭和”に一世風靡した不思議な生き物、今もペットとして根強い人気”, in Kobe Shimbun‎^[1] (in Japanese)
^ Jackpot (1985), ウーパールーパーのひみつ, Tokyo: Eichi Publishing, →ISBN
^ “〝愛の使者〟見に来て　ウーパールーパー、かにっこ館で展示”, in Shin Nihonkai Shimbun‎^[2] (in Japanese), 9 February 2025
^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2019), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Fourth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[1] Akira Kojima (28 June 2021), “「ウーパールーパー」を覚えていますか　“昭和”に一世風靡した不思議な生き物、今もペットとして根強い人気”, in Kobe Shimbun‎^[1] (in Japanese)

[2] Jackpot (1985), ウーパールーパーのひみつ, Tokyo: Eichi Publishing, →ISBN

[3] “〝愛の使者〟見に来て　ウーパールーパー、かにっこ館で展示”, in Shin Nihonkai Shimbun‎^[2] (in Japanese), 9 February 2025

[DJR4-4] Matsumura, Akira, editor (2019), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Fourth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

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