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和洋折衷 (わようせっちゅう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

和わ洋よう折せっ衷ちゅう

わ

よ

う

せ

っ

ちゅ

う

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

blending of Japanese and Western styles

yojijukugo (four-character idiom)

Describes a mix of Japanese and Western elements, often in architecture, interior design, clothing, or food. Common in phrases like 和洋折衷の家.

この旅りょ館かんは和わ洋よう折せっ衷ちゅうのデザインが特とく徴ちょうです。
This inn features a design that blends Japanese and Western styles.

和わ洋よう折せっ衷ちゅうの料りょう理りを提てい供きょうするレストランが増ふえている。

Restaurants serving a fusion of Japanese and Western cuisine are increasing.

Kanji

和harmony, Japanese style, peace
洋ocean, sea, foreign
折fold, break, fracture
衷inmost, heart, mind

Similar words

折せっ衷ちゅう
折衷 alone means 'compromise' or 'blending of different styles'; 和洋折衷 specifies the blend of Japanese and Western elements.
和わ風ふう
和風 means 'Japanese-style', without the explicit blending aspect of 和洋折衷.
洋よう風ふう
洋風 means 'Western-style', without the explicit blending aspect of 和洋折衷.

Etymology

A yojijukugo composed of 和 (Japanese), 洋 (Western), 折衷 (compromise, blending). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term became common in the Meiji era to describe the fusion of Japanese and Western cultural elements.