遺産(いさん)

いさん
noun
heritage; inheritance; legacy
society
1. inheritance; estate; bequest
Property, money, or assets left behind by a deceased person to be distributed to heirs.
遺産(いさん)を相続(そうぞく)する。
To inherit an estate.
父(ちち)の遺産(いさん)を兄弟(きょうだい)で分(わ)けた。
We divided our father's inheritance among the siblings.
遺産(いさん)相続(そうぞく)をめぐって親族間(しんぞくかん)で争(あらそ)いが起(お)きることも少(すく)なくない。
It is not uncommon for disputes to arise among relatives over inheritance.
2. heritage; legacy
Something of cultural, historical, or intellectual value passed down from previous generations.
世界(せかい)遺産(いさん)に登録(とうろく)された。
It was registered as a World Heritage site.
この建物(たてもの)は貴重(きちょう)な文化(ぶんか)遺産(いさん)だ。
This building is a valuable cultural heritage.
先人(せんじん)たちが残(のこ)した知的(ちてき)遺産(いさん)を次(つぎ)の世代(せだい)に伝(つた)えていくことが大切(たいせつ)だ。
It is important to pass on the intellectual legacy left by our predecessors to the next generation.

遺産(いさん) covers both the legal concept of inheritance and the broader concept of cultural heritage.

Common collocations

The compound 世界(せかい)遺産(いさん) (World Heritage) is extremely common in Japanese media and travel contexts. Japan has numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites. 負(ふ)の遺産(いさん) (negative legacy) is used to describe harmful things inherited from the past, such as environmental damage or debt.

Related Words

Related: 相続(そうぞく) (inheritance (act))
Related: 相続人(そうぞくにん) (heir)
Compare: 遺品(いひん) (belongings of the deceased)
general
Added 2026.3.1 18:05 · Revised 2026.10.7 22:23
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