How to say "tourism" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 観光かんこうnoun, suru verb, transitive verbThe common word for both senses: going sightseeing on a trip, and tourism as an activity or industry. Use it for travel for pleasure, visits to famous places, or tourism's role in the economy.
- nounA katakana loanword, less common than 観光; it belongs chiefly to specialized industry or academic discussion of tourism and is seldom the word you want in everyday speech.
Choose 観光, the common everyday word, for sightseeing and tourism alike; 「ツーリズム」 is a less common loanword found mainly in specialized industry or academic writing on tourism.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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