墓石(ぼせき)

墓石(ぼせき) combines 墓(ぼ) (grave) and 石(せき) (stone), forming a Sino-Japanese compound for the gravestone or tombstone. It is the standard formal term, used in news, funeral industry contexts, and everyday speech.

Common collocations

• 墓石(ぼせき)を建(た)てる: to erect a gravestone
• 墓石(ぼせき)を磨(みが)く: to polish a gravestone
• 墓石(ぼせき)に水(みず)をかける: to pour water on a gravestone (standard part of grave-visiting in Japan)
• 墓石(ぼせき)に名前(なまえ)を彫(ほ)る: to engrave a name on a gravestone
• 墓石(ぼせき)業者(ぎょうしゃ): gravestone dealer / mason

Cultural note

• Traditional Japanese gravestones are usually rectangular polished granite columns. The family name is engraved on the front, and the side often lists the posthumous Buddhist names (戒名(かいみょう)) and dates of those buried there.
• Grave visits during お彼岸(ひがん) (the equinox weeks) and お盆(ぼん) (Bon festival) typically include cleaning the gravestone, pouring water, and offering incense and flowers.
• 樹木(じゅもく)葬(そう) (tree burial) and other non-stone alternatives have been growing in popularity, partly due to declining family sizes and the cost of maintaining traditional graves.

Similar / related terms

• お墓(はか): grave (the everyday word, refers to the whole grave site)
• 墓地(ぼち): cemetery
• 墓標(ぼひょう): grave marker (often a simpler wooden stake or smaller marker)
• 石碑(せきひ): stone monument (general — not necessarily a grave)
• 戒名(かいみょう): posthumous Buddhist name (often inscribed on gravestones)