afterlife; realm of the dead; hidden world
A traditional Japanese term for the world of the dead, spirits, or the afterlife, often contrasted with the visible world (現世). It carries a sense of being hidden or secluded. Rare in everyday speech; mainly encountered in mythology, folklore, and literary works.
See also: あの世
In the Kojiki, there are descriptions of the boundary between the hidden world and the visible world.
She looked as if she had returned from the realm of the dead.
Most common modern spelling for this term, using 幽 (secluded, hidden) and 世 (world).
Older spelling using 隠 (hide) with okurigana; less common but still encountered in literary or historical contexts.
Variant without okurigana; rare and mostly found in older texts.
From the older form 隠り世, comprising 隠り “hidden” and 世 “world.” The spelling 幽世 expresses the same conception of an unseen realm.