死神
shinigami
The Japanese phrase for "God of death" is 死神 (shinigami).
死神 refers to a supernatural being or deity that guides souls to the afterlife or collects them. It is the most well-known and widely used term for the God of death in Japanese. While the term can refer to a deity, in modern contexts it is often used to describe a personification of death rather than a strictly religious figure. You will frequently encounter this term in modern pop culture, such as in anime and manga, to refer to personified death deities.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 死 (shi), meaning death and 神 (kami), meaning god or spirit.
How do you pronounce it?
shinigami
Did you know?
- The term 死神 is actually a relatively modern import. Traditional Japanese beliefs focused more on Enma, the king of the underworld, rather than a personified 'Grim Reaper' figure.
- Modern Japanese pop culture has created a new trope where 死神 are bureaucratic employees who manage the transition of souls, treating death as a corporate administrative task.
- In some Japanese folklore, a 死神 is not a collector of souls but a herald who warns a person of their impending death, sometimes appearing as a familiar animal or a strange shadow.
Examples in context
- 古い映画には死神が登場する。Furui eiga ni wa shinigami ga toujou suru.The god of death appears in old movies.
- 死神が魂を連れて行くという伝説がある。Shinigami ga tamashii o tsurete iku to iu densetsu ga aru.There is a legend that the god of death takes souls away.
- 彼は死神をモチーフにしたデザインが好きだ。Kare wa shinigami o mochiifu ni shita dezain ga suki da.He likes designs that use the god of death as a motif.
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are talking about a horror movie.
- 美咲 Misakiこの映画の死神はとても怖いね。Kono eiga no shinigami wa totemo kowai ne.The god of death in this movie is very scary, isn't it?
- 健太 Kenta本当だね。見た目が不気味だよ。Hontou da ne. Mitame ga bukimi da yo.You're right. He looks eerie.
- 美咲 Misaki死神に追われるシーンが一番怖かった。Shinigami ni owareru shiin ga ichiban kowakatta.The scene being chased by the god of death was the scariest.
- 健太 Kenta僕もそう思うよ。Boku mo sou omou yo.I think so too.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 死神, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
