Translation guide
In Japanese, the most common word for 'cemetery' is 墓地 (ぼち). However, the specific term used can depend on the context, such as a Western-style cemetery, a traditional Japanese graveyard, or a family grave plot.
The most common, all-purpose word for a burial ground.
The standard, neutral term for a cemetery or graveyard. Can refer to any type of burial ground.
That cemetery is on the outskirts of town.
I visited a grave at the cemetery.
Often used for larger, park-like cemeteries, especially modern or public ones. Conveys a more formal or landscaped feel.
Specifically a cemetery with Western-style graves, often associated with Christianity.
Literally 'foreigners' cemetery'. Used for historical cemeteries where non-Japanese are buried, often Western-style.
A graveyard attached to a Buddhist temple, or a traditional family burial ground.
A single family's burial plot, often marked with a stone monument.
The most common word for a grave or family plot. Can refer to the physical grave marker and the plot itself.
墓地 (ぼち) is the most general term. 霊園 (れいえん) implies a larger, park-like, often modern cemetery. 墓場 (はかば) can sound older, more rustic, or spooky, and is common in stories.
The act of visiting a grave is 墓参り (はかまいり). It is a common practice during Obon and the equinoxes. You can say 墓参りに行く (to go visit a grave).
We went to the cemetery to clean the grave.
多磨霊園は東京にある大きな霊園です。
Tama Cemetery is a large cemetery in Tokyo.
The Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery is a tourist spot.
Literally 'Western cemetery'. A direct description, but less common than 外国人墓地 for actual places.
An old Western-style cemetery appears in that movie.
Often implies an older, traditional graveyard, sometimes with a slightly eerie or rustic nuance. Can be used in folklore or ghost stories.
It's scary to pass through the graveyard at night.
Specifically a cemetery within the grounds of a Buddhist temple. Very common in Japan.
Old gravestones line the temple cemetery.
A public or communal cemetery, often managed by a local government or association.
My ancestors rest in the village communal cemetery.
During Obon, the family goes to visit the grave.
A more formal term for a grave site or burial plot, often used in official contexts.
This burial plot has been passed down for generations.
There is an old cemetery behind the temple.