Translation guide
A container for cremated remains, used in funeral rites. In Japanese contexts, the term covers both the ceremonial urn used during the funeral and the final burial container.
The learner wants to refer to a container for ashes after cremation in a general sense.
The most common and neutral word for a funerary urn. Used in both everyday conversation and formal contexts.
遺骨を骨壺に納める。
Place the cremated remains into the funerary urn.
Literally 'bone box'. A slightly more casual or descriptive term, often used in spoken language.
骨箱に遺骨を入れる。
Put the remains into the bone box.
The learner wants to refer specifically to the urn used in the funeral ceremony, often ornate and handled by family members.
Same word as above; context distinguishes the ceremonial use. Often wrapped in a cloth (風呂敷) and carried by the chief mourner.
喪主が骨壺を抱えて火葬場を出る。
The chief mourner carries the urn out of the crematorium.
Polite form with honorific prefix お, used to show respect when referring to the urn in formal or sensitive situations.
お骨壺を祭壇に安置する。
Place the urn on the altar.
The learner wants to refer to the urn that is permanently interred, often made of ceramic or metal.
Specifically an urn for interment in a grave or ossuary. The prefix 納骨 means 'enshrinement of remains'.
納骨壺を墓に納める。
Place the burial urn into the grave.
Also used for burial urns, though less specific than 納骨壺.
骨壺を墓石の下に埋葬する。
Bury the urn under the gravestone.
The learner wants to refer to a small urn used to keep a portion of ashes at a home altar or to give to relatives.
An urn for dividing ashes (分骨). Often small and decorative, used when family members each keep a portion.
分骨壺に遺骨の一部を入れて自宅に置く。
Put a portion of the ashes into a small urn and keep it at home.
A modern term for a small urn kept at hand for personal memorial. Literally 'at-hand memorial urn'.
手元供養壺をリビングに飾る。
Display the memorial urn in the living room.
The English word 'funerary' does not have a direct adjective equivalent in Japanese. Instead, use compound nouns like 骨壺 (bone urn) or 納骨壺 (interment urn). Do not attempt to translate 'funerary' as 葬式の or similar; it sounds unnatural.
In Japanese funerals, the urn is often carried by the chief mourner and placed on the altar during the wake and funeral. After cremation, family members use chopsticks to pick up bone fragments and place them into the urn. This is a highly ritualized act, so using respectful language (e.g., お骨壺) is appropriate.