風評

• Reading: ふうひょう
• Romaji: fuuhyou
• Kanji breakdown: 風 (fuu) — wind, style, manner; 評 (hyou) — evaluate, comment, criticise
• Pronunciation: /ɸɯː.çoː/

Meaning

Rumour; gossip; hearsay. Unverified information spread among people.

A noun referring to unconfirmed reports or reputational information circulating among the public. Most commonly encountered in the compound 風評被害 (fuuhyou higai, reputational damage from rumours), which became widely used after the 2011 Fukushima disaster to describe economic harm caused by unfounded fears. Carries a negative nuance — the information is often misleading or exaggerated.

Examples

1. 風評被害で農家の売り上げが大幅に減った。 Farmers saw a major drop in sales due to reputational damage from rumors.
2. インターネット上の風評を信じてはいけない。 You shouldn't believe rumors circulating on the internet.
3. その店は風評のせいで客が来なくなった。 Customers stopped coming to that store because of rumors.

Usage Guide

Context: news, society, business

Tone: cautionary

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 風 (fuu, wind) + 評 (hyou, evaluate/comment). Literally 'wind-borne评评 評判' — opinions carried on the wind, suggesting information that spreads uncontrollably like the wind.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal