Word
Kana: とうじょう Romaji: toujou Level: N2

登場

Meaning in English

entry (on stage)

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Dictionary

Word context

What it means

登場 means the act of appearing or entering into view, especially on stage or in a scene; it denotes a person or character making an entrance in a performance, narrative, or public event, and is used as a noun with the verb 登場する meaning to appear.

Main meanings

  • appearance or entry of a person or character on stage, screen, or in a narrative
  • emergence into a scene or situation, including public life or media
  • in compounds like 登場人物 to refer to a character or figure in a work
  • figurative sense of coming into prominence or being introduced in discussion or a project

How to use it

Used primarily as a noun; with the suru-verb 登場する to express appear or make an appearance; common in journalism, film and theater criticism, literary analysis, and narratives; in casual speech it is understood but slightly formal.

Variants and close terms

  • 出演 (shutsuen) — appearance on stage or screen
  • 出場 (shutsujō) — entry into a competition or event
  • 登場人物 (tōjōjin) — character in a work
  • 退場 (taijō) — exit from a stage or scene

Composition

  • 登 — to go up, to climb
  • 場 — place, scene
  • the combination emphasizes the act of coming into a place or entering a scene

Etymology

とうじょう is formed from the on-yomi readings of 登 and 場, combining to denote the act of coming to a place; this phonetic assembly is typical of kanji compounds that express a specific action.

Origin

Earliest usages appear in classical Japanese texts and Edo-period theater to describe a character entering the stage; the term later broadened to cover appearances in literature, film, and public life.

Word class

Noun (名詞); Suru-verb (suru-verb) 登場する (to appear)

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