パスポート

• 読み: パスポート
• ローマ字: pasupooto
• 漢字の分解: From English 'passport' → パスポート (katakana loanword). Also called 旅券 (りょけん) in formal/official contexts.
• 発音: /pa.su.poː.to/

意味

Passport — the essential travel document for international travel.

While パスポート is simply the Japanese word for passport, it carries additional cultural weight in Japan. The Japanese passport is consistently ranked as the most powerful in the world for visa-free access, a source of national pride. Getting your first パスポート is a milestone for young Japanese people. The word is also used metaphorically — パスポート to describe something that grants you access to a new world or experience.

例文

1. パスポートの期限切れてた、やばい。
2. 初めてパスポート取ったときワクワクしたなあ。
3. パスポートと航空券だけは絶対忘れないで。

使い方ガイド

場面: travel, daily life, official

トーン: practical, essential

正しい言い方

• パスポート更新しなきゃ、期限もうすぐだ。 (I need to renew my passport, it expires soon.)
• パスポート何色？赤？ (What colour is your passport? Red?)

避ける言い方

• ビザをパスポートと混同しない — パスポートは身分証明書、ビザは入国許可 (Don't confuse a visa with a passport — a passport is ID, a visa is entry permission)

よくある間違い

• Not knowing the formal term 旅券 (りょけん) — used on official documents and by immigration officials
• Confusing パスポート with ビザ — the passport is the document, the visa is the entry permission

起源と歴史

From English/French 'passport.' Adopted into Japanese as international travel became accessible. The Japanese passport's global reputation for visa-free access has made it a point of cultural significance beyond its practical function.

文化的背景

時代: Standard modern vocabulary

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal

地域メモ: Used across Japan. The Japanese passport consistently ranks as the world's most powerful for visa-free access. Red (10-year) and blue (5-year) covers.