also: こうせん
noun
underworld; land of the dead; Hades
Refers to the mythological realm of the dead in Japanese tradition, often contrasted with the living world. Used in classical and literary contexts.
古事記には、イザナミが黄泉の国へ行く話がある。
In the Kojiki, there is a story about Izanami going to the land of the dead.
noun
underground spring
Only with reading こうせん
Obsolete original meaning, read as こうせん. Not used in modern Japanese.
「黄泉」をこうせんと読むと、地下の泉を指す古い用法になる。
When read as こうせん, 黄泉 refers to an old usage meaning an underground spring.
Rare on'yomi reading used for the obsolete 'underground spring' sense.
The reading よみ is a jukujikun (special kanji reading) for 黄泉, a native Japanese word for the underworld. The on'yomi こうせん originally meant 'underground spring' and is now obsolete.