Japanese Symbol for
天国tengoku
paradise · heaven · the afterlife
Readings
Meaning
Paradise, heaven, the heavenly realm. 天国 literally means "heavenly country" or "country in the sky." It's used both for religious heaven and colloquially for any earthly paradise — "this hot spring is heaven!"
Example words
楽園
rakuen
paradise, Eden, utopia
極楽
gokuraku
Buddhist paradise, pure land
天国と地獄
tengoku to jigoku
heaven and hell
桃源郷
tōgenkyō
utopia, Shangri-La (Peach Garden)
浄土
jōdo
Pure Land (Buddhist paradise)
蓬莱
hōrai
island of immortals, paradise
Japan has multiple concepts of paradise. 極楽浄土 (gokuraku jōdo — the Pure Land) is the Buddhist paradise of Amida Buddha. 黄泉 (yomi — the underworld) is where the dead go. 蓬莱 (hōrai) is the mythical island of immortals. Interestingly, colloquial 天国 is also used to describe perfect earthly pleasures — a great meal or hot spring can be described as 天国みたい (tengoku mitai — "like paradise").
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