歩行者天国(ほこうしゃてんごく)

ほこうしゃてんごく
noun
pedestrian zone; street temporarily closed to cars
transportationshopping
1. pedestrian zone; car-free street
A street or shopping avenue closed to vehicles for a set period so that people can walk on the roadway. Literally "pedestrian heaven," it usually refers to a regular weekend or holiday arrangement in a busy shopping district.
日曜日(にちようび)は歩行者天国(ほこうしゃてんごく)になる。
On Sundays it becomes a pedestrian zone.
銀座(ぎんざ)の歩行者天国(ほこうしゃてんごく)を家族(かぞく)で歩(ある)いた。
We walked through Ginza's pedestrian zone as a family.
午後(ごご)から車(くるま)が通行止(つうこうど)めになり、大通(おおどお)りが歩行者天国(ほこうしゃてんごく)に変(か)わった。
Cars were blocked off from the afternoon, and the main street turned into a pedestrian zone.

Formed from 歩行者(ほこうしゃ) (pedestrian) and 天国(てんごく) (heaven). The name is fixed and is used in official signage as well as everyday speech.

Common collocations

  • 歩行者天国(ほこうしゃてんごく)になる: to become a pedestrian zone
  • 歩行者天国(ほこうしゃてんごく)を実施(じっし)する: to put a pedestrian zone into effect
  • 歩行者天国(ほこうしゃてんごく)が解除(かいじょ)される: for the pedestrian zone to be lifted
  • 歩行者天国(ほこうしゃてんごく)でにぎわう: to be lively with the street closure in place

Cultural note

Weekend closures in districts such as 銀座(ぎんざ) and 秋葉原(あきはばら) began in the 1970s as a response to traffic and pollution, and they remain a familiar part of city shopping. The word is often shortened to ホコ天(ホコてん) in casual speech.

general
Added 2026.8.15 0:52 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
30500/30635_hokoushatengoku