風俗

• Reading: ふうぞく
• Romaji: fuuzoku
• Kanji breakdown: 風 (fuu) — wind, manner, style; 俗 (zoku) — custom, popular, worldly
• Pronunciation: /ɸɯː.zo.kɯ/

Meaning

Manners; customs; social practices. The traditional ways and habits of a society or era.

A noun with two distinct meanings. In its traditional sense, it refers to the manners, customs, and social practices of a people or period — appearing in historical and cultural contexts like 風俗画 (fuuzokuga, genre painting depicting daily life) and 風俗習慣 (fuuzoku shuukan, manners and customs). In modern colloquial Japanese, 風俗 can also refer to the adult entertainment industry, so context is important. The N2-level meaning focuses on the cultural/historical usage.

Examples

1. 江戸時代の風俗を描いた絵が展示されている。 Paintings depicting the customs of the Edo period are on display.
2. 各国の風俗を比較する授業は興味深かった。 The class comparing customs from different countries was really interesting.
3. この地域には独自の風俗が残っている。 This region still preserves its own unique customs.

Usage Guide

Context: history, cultural studies, anthropology

Tone: academic

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 風 (fuu, wind/manner) + 俗 (zoku, custom/popular). Literally 'the winds and ways of the people' — how a society lives and behaves.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Educated