天てん職しょく

noun

vocation; calling; life's work

Refers to a job or role one feels destined to do, often with a sense of personal mission or natural fit.

• 彼かれは教きょう師しを天てん職しょくだと思おもっている。

  He considers teaching his vocation.

• 看かん護ご師しは彼かの女じょにとって天てん職しょくだった。

  Nursing was her calling.

noun

sacred duty; divine mission

Historical and formal; especially used for the emperor's rule as a heaven-ordained task. Rare in modern everyday language.

• 天皇てんのうの統とう治ちは天てん職しょくとされた。

  The emperor's rule was regarded as a sacred duty.

noun

second-highest class prostitute (Edo period)

Historical term from the Edo-period pleasure quarters; not used in modern contexts.

See also: 天神

• 江え戸ど時じ代だい、天てん職しょくは高こう級きゅう遊ゆう女じょの一ひとつだった。

  In the Edo period, a tenshoku was one of the high-ranking courtesans.