世界観(せかいかん)

せかいかん
noun
worldview, world-setting
cognition
1. worldview, view of the world
A comprehensive philosophy or outlook on the world and one's place in it.
彼(かれ)の世界観(せかいかん)は独特(どくとく)だ。
His worldview is unique.
旅(たび)を通(とお)して世界観(せかいかん)が変(か)わった。
My worldview changed through traveling.
宗教(しゅうきょう)はその人(ひと)の世界観(せかいかん)に大(おお)きな影響(えいきょう)を与(あた)える。
Religion has a major influence on a person's worldview.
2. world-setting, fictional universe
The overall atmosphere, rules, and setting of a creative work such as a novel, game, anime, or film. Very commonly used in discussions of fiction and media in Japanese.
このゲームの世界観(せかいかん)が好(す)きだ。
I like the world-setting of this game.
原作(げんさく)の世界観(せかいかん)を忠実(ちゅうじつ)に再現(さいげん)した映画(えいが)だ。
It's a film that faithfully recreates the world of the original work.
ファンタジー作品(さくひん)では、まず世界観(せかいかん)をしっかり作(つく)り込(こ)むことが大切(たいせつ)だ。
In fantasy works, it's important to first build a thorough world-setting.

世界観(せかいかん) has two distinct uses in modern Japanese.

Sense 1 (philosophical worldview) is the original meaning, corresponding to the German "Weltanschauung."

Sense 2 (fictional world-setting) is extremely common in pop culture discussions. When fans talk about a game, anime, or novel's 世界観(せかいかん), they mean its atmosphere, rules, lore, and overall creative vision.

Common collocations

  • 世界観(せかいかん)が広(ひろ)がる (the world expands)
  • 世界観(せかいかん)を作(つく)り込(こ)む (build out a world-setting in detail)
  • 世界観(せかいかん)を壊(こわ)す (break the world-setting / ruin the atmosphere)
  • 独特(どくとく)な世界観(せかいかん) (a unique worldview/world-setting)

Related Words

Related: 価値観(かちかん) (sense of values, values)
Compare: 人生観(じんせいかん) (view of life)
Related: 死生観(しせいかん) (view of life and death)
Related: 自然観(しぜんかん) (view of nature)
Related: 宇宙観(うちゅうかん) (view of the universe)
general
Added 2026.2.16 7:40 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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