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Yojijukugo

Japanese meaning of 森羅万象

Reading:

しんらばんしょう (shinra banshou)

English Translation:

All things in nature and the universe

Meaning & Cultural Context

Meaning:

All phenomena in the cosmos—nature, society, and human affairs—taken as an interlinked whole. Used to signal exhaustive scope or a holistic view.
日本語で読む
自然・社会・人事を含む「世界のあらゆる現象」全体。網羅性・全体観を示すときに用いる。

Cultural Context:

Appears in philosophical writing, religion (Shinto–Buddhist cosmology), and rhetoric to frame “everything under heaven” as one field.
日本語で読む
哲学・宗教（神仏習合的世界観）・修辞で「天地間のすべて」を一つの視野で捉える語として使われる。

Grammar & Learning Points

Grammar Point

• Noun phrase often used alone or with “を含む/を包む” to refer to all phenomena in the universe (“森羅万象を司る神”).<br>• Common in philosophical, religious, or poetic language.
日本語で読む
• 宇宙に存在するあらゆる物事を指す「〜を含む」「〜を司る」（例：「森羅万象を司る神」）。<br>• 哲学、宗教、詩的表現でよく使われる。

Trap for English Speakers

Might be taken to mean just “nature,” but it encompasses *everything*, both natural and human-made.
日本語で読む
自然だけでなく、人間活動や概念も含む全てを指す点に注意。

Example

Example 1Basic Example

  1. 森羅万象に興味を持つことは学びを広げる。

    Having an interest in all things in the universe broadens your learning.

Example 2Applied Example

  1. 森羅万象すべてが彼の興味の対象だった。

    All things in the universe fascinated him.

Quick check

Meaning

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