恐喝

• Reading: きょうかつ
• Romaji: kyokatsu
• Kanji breakdown: 恐 (kyō/oso) — fear, dread; 喝 (katsu) — shout, intimidate
• Pronunciation: /kʲoː.ka.t͡sɯ/

Meaning

Blackmail; extortion; the act of threatening someone to obtain money, property, or compliance through fear and intimidation.

A legal and criminal term describing coercion through threats of violence, exposure of secrets, or other intimidation. Constitutes a criminal offence under Japan's Penal Code. Distinct from 強盗 (robbery by direct force), in that the victim complies out of fear rather than being physically overpowered. Often appears in organised crime, corporate scandal, and digital crime contexts, including the increasingly common form of online blackmail using compromising images.

Examples

1. 元交際相手が動画を盾に金銭を要求するという恐喝事件が増加している。 Blackmail cases in which a former partner demands money using video footage as leverage are on the rise.
2. 彼は暴力団から恐喝され、長年にわたって多額の金を払い続けた。 He was blackmailed by a criminal organisation and was forced to pay large sums of money over many years.
3. 恐喝罪で逮捕された男は、事実を全面的に否認した。 The man arrested for blackmail denied all the facts outright.

Usage Guide

Context: crime, law, organised crime, legal proceedings

Tone: negative

Origin & History

From 恐 (fear/dread) and 喝 (shout/intimidate). The character 喝 originally referred to a shouted command or threatening cry, making the compound literally 'to intimidate through fearful shouting.'

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal