
Want to expand your Japanese religion-related vocabulary? This cheat sheet includes helpful terminologies on religion and fortune in Japanese. It includes pronunciation, meaning and example sentences to help you fully understand the content and practice your spoken Japanese skills.
In Japan, Buddhism and Shinto are the primary religions, often practiced simultaneously. Shinto means ‘the way of the gods’ and is deeply rooted in tradition. The Mahayana, ‘Greater Vehicle’ Buddhism, is one of the main branches and was brought here from China and Korea.
Want to learn more about how the Japanese carry out their prayers? Check out part two of our Japanese religion vocabulary cheat sheet to find out more about religious practices in Japan!
Religion 宗教 (しゅうきょう)
Here are 10 keywords related to religion in Japan:
Japanese | Pronunciation | Meaning |
---|---|---|
仏教 | ぶっきょう bukkyō | Buddhism |
神道 | しんとう shintō | Shinto |
お寺 | てら otera | Temple |
神社 | じんじゃ jinja | Shrine |
お参り | まい omairi | Visit to a shrine / temple |
山門 | さんもん sanmon | Temple gate |
鳥居 | とりい torii | Shrine gate |
手水舎 | ちょうずや chōzuya | Purification fountain |
お賽銭箱 | さいせんばこ osaisen bako | Offertory box |
お守り | まも omamori | Charm / amulet |
Fortune 運勢 (うんせい)
Here are 8 words relating to different fortunes:
Japanese | Pronunciation | Meaning |
---|---|---|
おみくじ | omikuji | Fortune slip |
大吉 | だいきち daikichi | Excellent luck |
吉 | きち kichi | Good luck |
中吉 | ちゅうきち chūkichi | Fair luck |
小吉 | しょうきち shōkichi | A little luck |
末吉 | すえきち suekichi | Uncertain luck |
凶 | きょう kyō | Bad luck |
大凶 | だいきょう daikyō | Terrible luck |
Example Sentences
Example 1:
By saying ‘神社は神道、お寺は仏教の施設である。‘
Pronunciation: Jinja wa shintō, otera wa bukkyō no shisetsu dearu.
It means ‘Shrines are Shinto, temples are Buddhist.’
Example 2:
By saying ‘おみくじを引いたら大凶だった。‘
Pronunciation: Omikuji wo hiitara daikyō datta.
It means: ‘I drew a fortune slip and got “terrible luck“.’