登場
Meaning in Englishentry (on stage)
Animated kanji stroke order
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)