北枕(きたまくら)

きたまくら
noun
sleeping with one's head to the north
culture
1. sleeping with one's head to the north
Lying or sleeping with the head pointing north. Traditionally avoided because the dead are laid out this way, following the posture of the Buddha at his death.
北枕(きたまくら)は縁起(えんぎ)が悪(わる)いと言(い)われている。
Sleeping with your head to the north is said to be bad luck.
祖母(そぼ)に北枕(きたまくら)で寝(ね)ないように言(い)われた。
My grandmother told me not to sleep with my head to the north.
ホテルの部屋(へや)のベッドが北枕(きたまくら)になっていた。
The bed in the hotel room had its head to the north.
最近(さいきん)は北枕(きたまくら)を気(き)にしない若(わか)い人(ひと)も多(おお)い。
These days many young people don't worry about sleeping facing north.

Cultural note

A body is laid with its head to the north before a Buddhist funeral, because the Buddha is said to have died lying with his head to the north, facing west. Sleeping that way is therefore traditionally avoided as unlucky (縁起(えんぎ)が悪(わる)い). Many people today ignore the taboo.

Common collocations

  • 北枕(きたまくら)で寝(ね)る: to sleep with one's head to the north
  • 北枕(きたまくら)にする: to lay (a body, a bed) with the head to the north
  • 北枕(きたまくら)を避(さ)ける: to avoid sleeping facing north
general
Added 2026.10.3 23:13 · Revised 2026.10.3 23:14
31500/31510_kitamakura