Japanese Symbol for
天国tengoku
paradise · heaven · the afterlife
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!"
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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