Japanese meaning of 自給自足
Reading:
じきゅうじそく (jikyuu jisoku)
English Translation:
Self-sufficiency
Meaning & Cultural Context
Meaning:
Self-sufficiency: producing what one consumes (food, energy, etc.).
Cultural Context:
Discussed in sustainability, homesteading, disaster preparedness; historically invoked in wartime economies and today by minimalists/off‑grid communities.
生活に必要なものを自ら賄うこと。
サステナビリティや自給農、災害備えの文脈で言及。戦時の国民生活スローガンとしての歴史もあり、近年はミニマリズムやオフグリッドとも接続。
Grammar & Learning Points
Grammar Point
• Noun phrase meaning “self-sufficiency,” often with “の生活.”
Trap for English Speakers
Can be interpreted only as agricultural self-reliance, missing broader applications.
Example
Basic Example
彼らは山奥で自給自足の生活を送っている。
They live a self-sufficient life deep in the mountains.
Applied Example
山奥で自給自足の生活を送っている。
He lives a self-sufficient life deep in the mountains.