屠畜場
tochikujō[to̞t͡ɕikɯ̟ʑo̞ː]
The Japanese word for abattoir is 屠畜場 (tochikujō). Wiktionary also lists 屠場 and 畜殺場 (chikusatsuba).
Meaning: public slaughterhouse (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 屠畜場 | tochikujō | [to̞t͡ɕikɯ̟ʑo̞ː] (narrow) |
| 屠場 | ||
| 畜殺場 | chikusatsuba | [t͡ɕikɯ̟sa̠t͡sɨba̠] (narrow) |
The terms in this group all refer to a public slaughterhouse or an abattoir.
What does it mean word for word?
The word tochikujō is composed of 屠 (slaughter), 畜 (livestock) and 場 (place or facility).
Which one should you use?
屠畜場 is the standard, more formal term, whereas the shorter 屠場 (read as tobajō) is a more abbreviated version. Both 屠殺場 and 畜殺場 are also used as formal terms for an abattoir.
How do you pronounce it?
tochikujō
Did you know?
- Because of the visceral nature of the word 屠殺 (slaughter), Japanese media often uses euphemisms like processing plant to avoid using the direct word for abattoir.
- The term 畜殺場 carries a much more violent connotation than the standard 屠畜場 because it uses the character 殺, which explicitly means 'to kill'.
- The character 屠 used in these terms is the same one found in the word for 'slaughterhouse' in many other East Asian languages, such as Chinese, reflecting a shared historical vocabulary for the industry.
Examples in context
- 私は今日、屠殺場を訪れました。I visited the abattoir today.
- 屠殺場での処理方法を改善する必要があります。We need to improve the processing methods at the abattoir.
- あの古い屠畜場はもう使われていない。Ano furui tochikujō wa mō tsukawarete inai.That old abattoir is no longer in use.
- 町の外れに大きな屠畜場がある。Machi no hazure ni ōkina tochikujō ga aru.There is a large abattoir on the outskirts of town.
- 屠畜場の規則は非常に厳しい。Tochikujō no kisoku wa hijō ni kibishii.The rules of the abattoir are very strict.
Example conversation
Yota and Misaki are discussing the local livestock industry.
- 陽太 Yotaここの屠畜場は最新の設備です。Koko no tochikujō wa saishin no setsubi desu.The abattoir here has the latest equipment.
- 美咲 Misaki本当に綺麗に管理されていますね。Hontō ni kirei ni kanri sarete imasu ne.It really is managed cleanly, isn't it?
- 陽太 Yota衛生管理にとても厳しいそうです。Eisei kanri ni totemo kibishii sō desu.I heard they are very strict about hygiene management.
- 美咲 Misakiそれは安心ですね。Sore wa anshin desu ne.That is reassuring.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “abattoir” translations and entries 屠畜場, 畜殺場, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
