1.
memorial monument; cenotaph; memorial stone
A stone monument or marker erected to commemorate and console the spirits of the deceased, especially victims of war, disasters, or accidents.
慰霊碑の前で祈った。
I prayed in front of the memorial monument.
戦没者のための慰霊碑が建てられた。
A memorial monument was erected for those who died in the war.
毎年八月になると、広島の慰霊碑には多くの人が花を手向ける。
Every August, many people lay flowers at the memorial monument in Hiroshima.
Composed of 慰霊 (consolation of spirits; memorial) + 碑 (stone monument). Deeply connected to Japanese memorial culture, especially post-war remembrance. Found at battle sites, disaster locations, and places of historical tragedy. The concept of 慰霊 reflects the belief in consoling the spirits of the dead so they may rest in peace.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 慰霊碑を建てる: to erect a memorial monument
- 慰霊碑に花を供える: to offer flowers at a memorial
- 慰霊碑の前で黙祷する: to observe a moment of silence at a memorial
- 戦没者慰霊碑: war dead memorial
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 記念碑: monument; commemorative stele — broader; can commemorate any event or achievement, not necessarily death
- 墓石: gravestone; tombstone — marks an individual grave rather than serving as a collective memorial
- 慰霊祭: memorial service — the ceremony rather than the physical monument