檀家

• 読み: だんか
• ローマ字: danka
• 漢字の分解: 檀 (dan) — patron, donor (from Sanskrit dāna); 家 (ka) — household, family
• 発音: /daŋka/

意味

Temple supporter; parishioner of a Buddhist temple. A household or family affiliated with a specific Buddhist temple for ancestral rites.

The 檀家 system (檀家制度) emerged in the Edo period when the Tokugawa shogunate required every household to register with a Buddhist temple. This created enduring ties between families and temples, with the temple performing funerals and memorial services (法事) in exchange for financial support. Though the compulsory system was abolished in the Meiji era, 檀家 relationships persist across much of Japan.

例文

1. うちは代々このお寺の檀家で、先祖の墓もここにある。
2. 檀家として毎年お盆にお布施を納めるのが慣わしだ。
3. 少子化で檀家が減り、地方の寺院は経営難に陥っている。

使い方ガイド

場面: religion, funeral customs, community, history

トーン: neutral

起源と歴史

From Sanskrit dāna (giving, donation) via the Buddhist term 檀那 (danna/patron). 檀家 combines 檀 (patron, donor) with 家 (household, family). The system was institutionalised during the Edo period as a form of anti-Christian population control.

文化的背景

時代: Edo–Modern

世代: Middle-aged and older

社会的背景: General