Would you like to express your enthusiasm about space in Japanese? Or enjoy a space anime without subtitles? Then, learn the spaceship vocabulary in Japanese here!
Are you obsessed with astronomy and space? No one can blame you as the universe 宇宙 (uchū) is a magical yet mysterious place. You’ve undoubtedly watched countless documentaries and movies about space, and I bet you know space terms inside out. Why don’t you learn them in the Japanese language as well?
Think about explaining your ideas about space in Japanese! People will find you very interesting with your astronomy knowledge and fluent Japanese! And to do that, you should know space and spaceship vocabulary in Japanese.
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I’m going to provide you with a comprehensive Japanese vocabulary list about space and share my favorite space-themed animes with you as a bonus at the end of this blog post!
Page Contents:
- JAXA: The Japanese Space Program
- Planets In Japanese
- Spaceship Vocabulary In Japanese
- Japanese Space Vocabulary
- Favorite Space-Themed Animes
- Learn Japanese With Ling App!
JAXA: The Japanese Space Program
Before anything else, briefly introducing the Japanese space program, JAXA, would be ideal. JAXA is basically the NASA of Japan.
Before the 1960s, there were two space organizations in Japan, the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA), which were capable of developing their own rockets. However, after facing numerous failures between the 1990s and 2000s, those two space programs gathered under a single roof and formed the unified Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in 2003.
One of the most prominent accomplishments of JAXA is that they have accumulated vast amounts of technology and expertise through their human space programs —such as the Japanese Experiment Module “Kibo” and transfer vehicle “KOUNOTORI”—and its robotic missions with science probes, including Hayabusa, Hayabusa2, and KAGUYA.
Planets In Japanese
The Japanese word for planet is 惑星 (wakusei), but what about the other planets? You can learn them in the list below!
| English | Japanese | Romaji | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earth | 地球 | Chikyū | |
| Mercury | 水星 | Suisei | |
| Venus | 金星 | Kinsei | |
| Mars | 火星 | Kasei | |
| Jupiter | 木星 | Mokusei | |
| Saturn | 土星 | Dosei | |
| Uranus | 天王星 | Tennōsei | |
| Neptune | 海王星 | Kaiōsei | |
| Pluto | 冥王星 | Meiōsei |
Spaceship Vocabulary In Japanese
This list includes all the cool astronomy terms you hear in documentaries but this time in Japanese!
| English | Japanese | Romaji | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| spacecraft | 宇宙船 | uchūsen | |
| space suit | 宇宙服 | uchūfuku | |
| acceleration | 加速 | kasoku | |
| aerodynamics | 空力 | kūryoku | |
| dangerous | 危険な | kikenna | |
| dust | ほこり | hokori | |
| particles | 粒子 | ryūshi | |
| rays | 光線 | kōsen | |
| ultraviolet light | 紫外線 | shigaisen | |
| alien | エイリアン | eirian | |
| zero gravity | 無重力 | mujūryoku | |
| hydrogen | 水素 | suiso | |
| engineer | エンジニア | enjinia | |
| unstable | 不安定 | fuantei | |
| intergalactic | 銀河間 | gingakan | |
| interplanetary | 惑星間 | wakuseikan | |
| interstellar | 星間 | hoshikan | |
| altitude | 高度 | kōdo | |
| astronaut | 宇宙飛行士 | uchūhikōshi | |
| crew | 乗組員 | norikumīn | |
| equipment | 機器 | kiki | |
| exploration | 探査 | tansa | |
| impact | インパクト | inpakuto | |
| unknown | 未知なるもの | michi naru mono | |
| oxygen | 酸素 | sanso | |
| communication | コミュニケーション | komyunikēshon | |
| centrifugal force | 遠心力 | enshinryoku | |
| gravity | 重力 | jūryoku | |
| space shuttle | スペースシャトル | supēsushatoru | |
| navigation | ナビゲーション | nabigēshon | |
| space station | 宇宙ステーション | uchū sutēshon | |
| technology | テクノロジー | tekunorojī | |
| temperature | 温度 | ondo | |
| speed of light | 光の速度 | hikari no sokudo | |
| radiation | 放射線 | hōshasen | |
| astronomer | 天文学者 | tenmongakusha | |
| landing | 着陸 | chakuriku | |
| crater | クレーター | kurētā | |
| sample | 標本 | hyōhon | |
| extraterrestrial | 地球外 | chikyūgai | |
| laboratory | 実験室 | jikkenshitsu | |
| module | モジュール | mojūru | |
| engine | そのエンジン | sono enjin | |
| objective | 目的 | mokuteki | |
| unidentified flying object | 未確認の飛行物体 | mi kakunin no hikō buttai | |
| journey | 旅 | tabi | |
| physicist | 物理学者 | butsuri gakusha | |
| satellite | 衛星 | eisei | |
| scientist | 科学者 | kagakusha | |
| telescope | 望遠鏡 | bōenkyō | |
| spaceship | 宇宙船 | uchūsen | |
| analysis | 解析 | kaiseki | |
| light year | 光年 | kōnen | |
| anomaly | 異常 | ijō | |
| collision | 衝突 | shōtotsu | |
| discovery | 発見 | hakken | |
| rocket | ロケット | roketto | |
| mission | 使命 | shimei | |
| space shuttle | スペースシャトル | supēsushatoru | |
| launchpad | 発射台 | hasshadai | |
| probe | プローブ | purōbu | |
| turbulence | 乱気流 | rankiryū |
Japanese Space Vocabulary
This list includes the common space vocabulary in the Japanese language.
| English | Japanese | Romaji | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| black hole | ブラックホール | burakku hooru | |
| milky way | 天の川 | ama no gawa | |
| universe | 宇宙 | uchū | |
| alien | 宇宙人 | uchūjin | |
| astronomy | 天文学 | tenmongaku | |
| void of space | 宇宙空間 | uchūkuukan | |
| comet | 彗星 | suisei | |
| asteroid | 小惑星 | shouwakusei | |
| star | 星 | hoshi | |
| meteor | 流星 | ryūsei | |
| meteor shower | 流星群 | ryūseigun | |
| moon | 月 | tsuki | |
| sun | 太陽 | taiyou | |
| solar system | 太陽系 | taiyoukei | |
| atmosphere | 大気 | taiki | |
| gravity | 重力 | jūryoku | |
| galaxy | 銀河 | ginga | |
| orbit | 軌道 | kidou | |
| satellite | 衛星 | eisei | |
| man-made satellite | 人工衛星 | jinkō eisei | |
| eclipse | 食 | shoku | |
| meteoroid | 隕石 | inseki | |
| light year | 光年 | kōnen | |
| constellation | 星座 | seiza | |
| atmosphere | 雰囲気 | funiki | |
| big bang | ビッグバン | bigguban | |
| cosmos | コスモス | kosumosu | |
| rings of Saturn | 土星の輪 | dosei no wa |
Favorite Space-Themed Animes
Since we’re talking about space, I want to share my favorite two animes about space! If you can’t decide what to watch nowadays, check these out!
1. Uchuu Kyoudai 宇宙兄弟 (Space Brothers)
Aired: 2012
UFO sightings have become more common nowadays, and most people believe that we’re probably not the only intelligent lifeform in the entire universe.
Space Brothers discusses the phenomenon of UFOs in a humorous style. The anime is about two brothers, Mutta and Hibito Namba, who deal with life’s usual ups and downs and pursue their dream of becoming astronauts.
2. Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu 銀河英雄伝説 (Legend of the Galactic Heroes)
Aired: 1988
Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu is a controversial anime because some fans believe it’s the best thing after the block-busting Star Wars franchise, while others find it overrated.
Honestly, I consider myself in the first group. Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu is a deep and sophisticated space anime that requires you to become totally invested in its lore so that you can appreciate it.
Want to watch these animes without English subtitles? Then, download the Ling App now and improve your Japanese level!
Learn Japanese With Ling App!
If you want to learn Japanese, among the 60+ languages offered in the app, the Ling App is here for you!
The Ling App provides tonnes of Japanese vocabulary that you can learn at your own pace. Just grab your iOS or Android device right now and head to Google Play Store or Apple App Store to download it. Mini-games, puzzles, and AI chatbots to practice Japanese speaking skills are just some of the interactive activities of Ling.
Many Japanese learners use Ling to improve their language skills, so why not join them? Download the Ling App, and get ready to speak Japanese soon!
Plus, don’t forget to visit our Japanese blog weekly to learn more about Japanese culture and language!
Until next time, じゃあまたね (jyaamatane)!
Updated by: Gwyn
