noun
the average Joe; the man in the street
Idiomatic expression derived from the names of two stock characters in rakugo, used to refer to ordinary, everyday people.
熊さん八っつあんの生活感が落語の魅力だ。
The everyday feel of ordinary folks is the charm of rakugo.
この政策は熊さん八っつあんには関係ない話だ。
This policy has nothing to do with the average Joe.
庶民 is a more formal term for 'common people', while 熊さん八っつあん is a colloquial, idiomatic expression with a folksy nuance.
一般人 is a neutral term for 'ordinary person', whereas 熊さん八っつあん carries a warm, slightly humorous connotation from its rakugo origin.
From the names of two stock characters in rakugo, 熊さん (Kuma-san) and 八っつあん (Hattsuan), who represent typical Edo-period commoners.