1.
written impressions; book report; review essay
A piece of writing in which one describes their personal impressions, thoughts, and feelings about something they read, watched, or experienced. A staple of Japanese school assignments.
感想文を書く。
To write a book report.
夏休みの宿題で読書感想文を書かされた。
I was made to write a book report as summer homework.
映画を観た後、感想文を四百字詰め原稿用紙三枚にまとめた。
After watching the movie, I wrote up my impressions on three sheets of 400-character manuscript paper.
Composed of 感想 (impressions, thoughts) + 文 (writing, text). This is one of the most common school writing assignments in Japan, particularly the 読書感想文 (book report) assigned during summer break.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 読書感想文 — book report (the most common type)
- 感想文を書く — to write a review/report
- 映画の感想文 — movie review essay
- 感想文コンクール — book report contest
CULTURAL NOTE:
The 読書感想文 is a defining feature of Japanese school culture. Students from elementary through high school are assigned to read a book and write their personal impressions. Many students dread this assignment, and it has become a common topic in discussions about Japanese education.
RELATED TERMS:
- 感想 — impressions, thoughts (spoken or written)
- 書評 — book review; more formal and analytical than 感想文
- 作文 — essay, composition; broader term for any written assignment