Society, Religion & Culture

Introduction

Japanese society is described through vocabulary that blends history, religion, social structure, and everyday norms. This chapter covers words that help you read about communities, belief, ritual, identity, and the social categories people use to describe themselves and others.

These are the kinds of terms that deepen your understanding of how culture is framed in advanced Japanese.

Themes

All JLPT N2 Vocabulary in This Chapter (52)

1. 異教徒 いきょうと Pagan; heretic; heathen. A person who holds religious beliefs different from the dominant or orthodox faith.
2. 威信 いしん Prestige; dignity. Authority and influence that commands respect from others.
3. 教えを説く おしえをとく To preach the faith; to teach and spread religious or moral teachings.
4. お開き おひらき Breakup; closure. The end of a ceremony, wedding, party, or formal gathering.
5. 階級 かいきゅう Social class; rank; grade. A position in a social or organisational hierarchy.
6. 階層 かいそう Class; level; stratum; layer; hierarchy. A tier within a structured system.
7. 化学繊維 かがくせんい Synthetic fibre; chemical fibre. Man-made textile fibres produced through chemical processes.
8. 慣習 かんしゅう Custom; convention; common practice. A traditional way of behaving or doing things in a society.
9. 神主 かんぬし Shinto priest. A clergy member who serves at and manages a Shinto shrine.
10. 儀式 ぎしき Ceremony; rite; ritual; service. A formal act or set of acts performed on a special occasion.
11. 教材 きょうざい Teaching materials; educational materials. Resources used for instruction and learning.
12. 教祖 きょうそ Founder of a religious sect; religious founder. The person who established a religion or sect.
13. 教徒 きょうと Believer; adherent; follower of a religion. A person who professes a particular faith.
14. 教養 きょうよう Culture; education; cultivation; refinement. General knowledge and sophistication gained through learning.
15. 結婚観 けっこんかん View of marriage; outlook on marriage; attitude towards marriage.
16. 結婚式 けっこんしき Marriage ceremony; wedding; nuptials. A formal event celebrating a couple's union.
17. 祭礼 さいれい Religious festival; ritual ceremony. A formal celebration with religious significance.
18. 酸化する さんかする To oxidise; to undergo oxidation. A chemical reaction in which a substance combines with oxygen.
19. 失神する しっしんする To faint; to lose consciousness; to swoon. A sudden, temporary loss of awareness.
20. 失礼に当たる しつれいにあたる To be rude; to constitute rudeness; to be considered impolite.
21. 住職 じゅうしょく Chief priest of a Buddhist temple. The head monk responsible for managing a temple.
22. 習俗 しゅうぞく Manners and customs; folkways; social practices. Traditional customs and ways of life.
23. 出社する しゅっしゃする To go to work; to come to the office. To report to one's workplace.
24. 巡礼の旅 じゅんれいのたび Religious pilgrimage; pilgrim's journey. A journey undertaken for religious or spiritual purposes.
25. 人格 じんかく Personality; character; individuality; personhood. The qualities that form a person's distinctive nature.
26. 信仰心 しんこうしん Piety; religious faith; devotion. A deep and sincere belief in a religion or spiritual practice.
27. 神聖な しんせいな Holy; sacred; divine. Describing something regarded with reverence or spiritual significance.
28. 信念 しんねん Belief; faith; conviction. A firmly held personal principle or belief that guides one's actions.
29. 誠意 せいい Sincerity; good faith; genuine intentions. A wholehearted and honest attitude toward others.
30. 世代 せだい Generation. A group of people born and living around the same time, or the average period between parent and child.
31. 葬儀 そうぎ Funeral; funeral service. A formal ceremony held to honour and mourn a deceased person.
32. 投稿 とうこう Post; submission; contribution. Content submitted to a publication, website, or social media platform.
33. 鳥居 とりい Torii; Shinto shrine gate. The iconic Japanese archway that marks the entrance to a sacred Shinto space.
34. 披露宴 ひろうえん Reception; banquet; celebration party. A formal gathering to publicly announce and celebrate an event, especially a wedding.
35. 品格 ひんかく Dignity; grace; refinement; quality of character. An elegant bearing or distinguished quality.
36. 風習 ふうしゅう Custom; tradition; folk practice. An established social practice passed down through generations.
37. 風潮 ふうちょう Trend; current; tide. A prevailing tendency or movement in society or opinion.
38. ふ化する ふかする To hatch. The process of an egg producing a young animal, or artificially incubating eggs until they hatch.
39. 仏教徒 ぶっきょうと Buddhist; follower of Buddhism. A person who practises or adheres to the Buddhist faith.
40. 仏像 ぶつぞう Statue of Buddha; Buddhist image. A sculpture or figure representing the Buddha or a Buddhist deity.
41. 文芸 ぶんげい Literature; literary arts. The art of written works, especially fiction, poetry, and creative writing.
42. 文芸作品 ぶんげいさくひん Literary work; work of literature. A specific piece of creative writing such as a novel, poem, or short story.
43. 偏見 へんけん Prejudice; bias; preconceived notion. An unfair or unreasonable opinion formed without sufficient knowledge.
44. 民俗 みんぞく Folk customs; folkways; ethnic customs. The traditional practices, beliefs, and culture of ordinary people.
45. 迷信 めいしん Superstition; superstitious belief. An irrational belief based on tradition, fear, or ignorance rather than evidence.
46. 名誉 めいよ Honour; glory; fame; distinction. High respect or esteem earned through achievement or character.
47. 有機化合物 ゆうきかごうぶつ Organic compound. A chemical compound containing carbon, typically found in living organisms.
48. 世論 よろん Public opinion; popular sentiment; consensus. The collective views and attitudes of the general public.
49. 良心 りょうしん Conscience. The inner sense of right and wrong that guides a person's moral judgement.
50. 倫理 りんり Ethics; morals. The principles of right and wrong that govern human behaviour and decision-making.
51. 礼拝 れいはい Worship; religious service. Especially used for Christian church services and prayer.
52. 礼拝堂 れいはいどう Chapel; place of worship. A building or room dedicated to religious services and prayer.