慰霊祭(いれいさい)

いれいさい
noun
memorial service; ceremony to console the spirits of the dead
1. memorial service; ceremony to console the spirits of the dead
A formal ceremony held to honor and comfort the spirits of deceased persons, often those who died in wars, disasters, or accidents.
毎年(まいとし)慰霊祭(いれいさい)が行(おこな)われる。
A memorial service is held every year.
戦没者(せんぼつしゃ)のための慰霊祭(いれいさい)に参列(さんれつ)した。
I attended a memorial service for those who died in the war.
震災(しんさい)から十年(じゅうねん)が経(た)ち、地元(じもと)で慰霊祭(いれいさい)が開(ひら)かれた。
Ten years after the earthquake disaster, a memorial service was held locally.

A compound of 慰霊(いれい) (consoling the spirits of the dead) and 祭(さい) (ceremony/festival). These ceremonies are held for victims of wars, natural disasters, accidents, and other tragedies. They are distinct from personal funeral rites and typically serve a communal or public commemorative function.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 慰霊祭(いれいさい)を行(おこな)う: to hold a memorial service
  • 慰霊祭(いれいさい)に参列(さんれつ)する: to attend a memorial service
  • 戦没者(せんぼつしゃ)慰霊祭(いれいさい): memorial for war dead
  • 合同(ごうどう)慰霊祭(いれいさい): joint memorial service

RELATED WORDS:

  • 慰霊碑(いれいひ): memorial monument/cenotaph
  • 追悼式(ついとうしき): memorial ceremony — more secular in nuance
  • 法要(ほうよう): Buddhist memorial service — specifically Buddhist ritual
general
Added 2026.5.7 21:18
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