(ぼち)

ぼち
noun
cemetery; graveyard
1. cemetery; graveyard; burial ground
An area of land designated for burying the dead, typically containing gravestones and memorials.
墓地(ぼち)(おとず)れた。
I visited the cemetery.
祖父(そふ)(はか)(まち)墓地(ぼち)にある。
My grandfather's grave is in the town cemetery.
(ぼん)には家族(かぞく)墓地(ぼち)()って墓参(はかまい)りをするのが毎年(まいとし)習慣(しゅうかん)だ。
Every year during Obon, our family makes it a custom to visit the cemetery and pay respects at the grave.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 墓地(ぼち)(おとず)れる: to visit a cemetery
  • 市営(しえい)墓地(ぼち): municipal cemetery
  • 共同(きょうどう)墓地(ぼち): communal cemetery
  • 墓地(ぼち)管理(かんり): cemetery maintenance

CULTURE: In Japan, most cemeteries are associated with Buddhist temples (寺院(じいん)墓地(ぼち)). Municipal and private cemeteries also exist. Visiting family graves (墓参(はかまい)り) is an important custom, especially during Obon and the spring/autumn equinoxes (彼岸(ひがん)).

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 墓地(ぼち): general term for cemetery or burial ground
  • 霊園(れいえん): memorial park, garden cemetery (more modern, park-like)
  • 墓場(はかば): graveyard (slightly more informal or literary)