Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
冬至 (とうじ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N1 Freq. Frequency Top 50,000 Meanings 1
noun
winter solstice
The calendrical day around December 21 or 22 when the daytime is shortest in the Northern Hemisphere. In Japan it is associated with customs such as eating pumpkin or taking a yuzu bath.
See also: 夏至
とう
至じ
に
は
ゆず
湯ゆ
に
入はい
る
家か
庭てい
も
多おお
い
。
Many households take a yuzu bath on the winter solstice.
Similar words 夏げ 至し The opposite seasonal term: 夏至 is the summer solstice, when daytime is longest.
春しゅん 分ぶん An equinox rather than a solstice; day and night are roughly equal in length.
Etymology A Sino-Japanese compound written with 冬, meaning winter, and 至, meaning to arrive at or reach a point; the spelling conventionally represents the point in the calendar associated with the winter solstice.
