Genkan (玄関)

Recently, I purchased a book on Japanese derived from Buddhism. The book is divided into 5 chapters with about 10 everyday Japanese words and their roots in Buddhism explained. The most recent entry that I read explained the root of the Japanese word genkan (玄関), interpreted by modern speakers of Japanese to mean entrance or entryway to a building or residence. I would like to take the time to share this root with my readers. Enjoy.

Genkan derives from the the first kanji of the first word (玄妙) and last word (関門) in the phrase genmyou na michi ni hairu kanmon (玄妙な道に入る関門). Some relate the phrase as genmyou na michi e hairu kanmon (玄妙な道へ入る関門), where the ni is replaced with e and really makes not much of a difference in meaning. Either way, the phrase essentially means the same thing. The translation of this phrase might be slightly difficult, but plainly put it means "the gate to the path of Buddhism".

The phrase first came to Japan with the transmission of Zen Buddhism. It referred to the entrance of Zen Buddhist temples. Over time, the word was applied to porches built on the homes of court nobles where the carriages would pick them up. This transmitted further to the warrior class, whose homes also had porches built on them to settle disputes, and with the introduction of modern architecture and the spread of Buddhism to the common people, the entrance to modern buildings and residences has come to be called a genkan (玄関) in Japanese.

Among the other tidbits the book offers, many may also be surprised to learn that words like arigatou (ありがとう), daijoubu (大丈夫) and anshin (安心) also have their roots in Buddhism. I will save their explanations for future posts, however.

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