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神隠し (かみかくし, kamikakushi) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
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In old tales, there are often stories of children being spirited away.
He suddenly vanished, as if he had been spirited away.
Related words 失しっ 踪そう 失踪 is a neutral, formal term for disappearance or missing persons, without the supernatural or folkloric nuance of 神隠し.
行方ゆくえ 不ふ 明めい 行方不明 is a common, factual term for 'missing' or 'whereabouts unknown', used in news and official contexts, lacking the mystical connotation.
Etymology Compound of 神 (kami, 'god, spirit') + 隠し (kakushi, 'hiding', the noun form of 隠す). The reading かみがくし is a rare rendaku variant. The concept originates from Japanese folklore where people, especially children, were believed to be taken away by supernatural beings.
