Ukiyo
/ɯ.kʲi.joː/noun
A Japanese term meaning the transient world, especially associated with the pleasure districts and entertainment culture of the Edo period.
Did you know?Before 浮世 came to mean the “floating world” of kabuki, courtesans, and pleasure districts, its earlier form 憂き世 meant the painful or sorrowful world of Buddhist impermanence.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Japanese
Japanese
憂き世 (ukiyo)
“The sorrowful, painful world; a Buddhist-inflected expression for transient earthly existence.”
Heian Period, 8th–12th Century
Japanese
浮世 (ukiyo)
“A homophonous reinterpretation meaning the floating or transient world, reflecting the idea that worldly life continually drifts and changes.”
17th Century
Japanese
浮世
“The fashionable world of pleasure, entertainment, erotic culture, and urban life in Edo-period Japan.”
17th Century
Japanese
浮世絵 (ukiyo-e)
““Pictures of the floating world,” prints depicting actors, courtesans, landscapes, and fashionable subjects.”
19th–20th Century
English
ukiyo
“An English loanword used in discussions of Japanese art, culture, and the transient pleasures of Edo society.”