{"id":107632,"date":"2023-12-14T16:02:27","date_gmt":"2023-12-14T21:02:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/hobbies-in-japanese\/"},"modified":"2025-02-19T06:05:50","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T11:05:50","slug":"hobbies-in-japanese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/japanese\/hobbies-in-japanese\/","title":{"rendered":"72 Hobbies in Japanese and How to Discuss Them\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

What do you like to do in your spare time? Are you a sports enthusiast, a creative crafty soul or someone with a wide range of interests?<\/p>\n

Whatever you’re into, this blog post will help you learn how to talk about hobbies in Japanese.\u00a0From essential sentence structures<\/a> to key vocabulary, we’ll teach you how to talk about all your creative pursuits.\u00a0<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

Common Hobbies in Japanese<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Japanese word for “hobby” is \u8da3\u5473<\/strong>\u00a0(shumi). <\/em>Here are some popular hobbies and how to say them in Japanese.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sports and Outdoor Hobbies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
English<\/th>Japanese<\/th>Romaji<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Archery<\/td> \u5f13\u9053 <\/a>\n <\/td>Ky\u016bd\u014d<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Astronomy<\/td> \u5929\u6587\u5b66 <\/a>\n <\/td>Tenmongaku<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Backpacking<\/td> \u30d0\u30c3\u30af\u30d1\u30c3\u30ad\u30f3\u30b0 <\/a>\n <\/td>Bakkupakkingu<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Basketball<\/td> \u30d0\u30b9\u30b1\u30c3\u30c8\u30dc\u30fc\u30eb <\/a>\n <\/td>Basuketto B\u014dru<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Birdwatching<\/td> \u30d0\u30fc\u30c9\u30a6\u30a9\u30c3\u30c1\u30f3\u30b0 <\/a>\n <\/td>B\u0101dowatchingu<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bowling<\/td> \u30dc\u30a6\u30ea\u30f3\u30b0 <\/a>\n <\/td>B\u014dringu<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Camping<\/td> \u30ad\u30e3\u30f3\u30d7 <\/a>\n <\/td>Kyanpu<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cave exploration<\/td> \u6d1e\u7a9f\u63a2\u691c <\/a>\n <\/td>D\u014dkutsu Tanken<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fencing<\/td> \u30d5\u30a7\u30f3\u30b7\u30f3\u30b0 <\/a>\n <\/td>Fenshingu<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fishing<\/td> \u91e3\u308a <\/a>\n <\/td>Tsuri<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Foodball<\/td> \u30d5\u30c3\u30c8\u30dc\u30fc\u30eb <\/a>\n <\/td>Futtob\u014dru<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Golf<\/td> \u30b4\u30eb\u30d5 <\/a>\n <\/td>Gorufu<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hiking<\/td> \u30cf\u30a4\u30ad\u30f3\u30b0 <\/a>\n <\/td>Haikingu<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Horseback riding<\/td> \u4e57\u99ac <\/a>\n <\/td>J\u014dba<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ice skating<\/td> \u30a2\u30a4\u30b9\u30b9\u30b1\u30fc\u30c8 <\/a>\n <\/td>Aisu Suk\u0113to<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Martial arts<\/td> \u6b66\u9053 <\/a>\n <\/td>Bud\u014d<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Meditation<\/td> \u7791\u60f3 <\/a>\n <\/td>Meis\u014d<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Parkour<\/td> \u30d1\u30eb\u30af\u30fc\u30eb <\/a>\n <\/td>Paruk\u016bru<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rock climbing<\/td> \u30ed\u30c3\u30af\u30af\u30e9\u30a4\u30df\u30f3\u30b0 <\/a>\n <\/td>Rokkukuraimingu<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rollerblading<\/td> \u30ed\u30fc\u30e9\u30fc\u30d6\u30ec\u30fc\u30c7\u30a3\u30f3\u30b0 <\/a>\n <\/td>R\u014dr\u0101bur\u0113dingu<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
SCUBA diving<\/td> \u30b9\u30ad\u30e5\u30fc\u30d0\u30c0\u30a4\u30d3\u30f3\u30b0 <\/a>\n <\/td>Suky\u016bba Daibingu<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sightseeing<\/td> \u89b3\u5149 <\/a>\n <\/td>Kank\u014d<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Skateboarding<\/td> \u30b9\u30b1\u30fc\u30c8\u30dc\u30fc\u30c9 <\/a>\n <\/td>Suk\u0113tob\u014ddo<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Snorkeling<\/td> \u30b7\u30e5\u30ce\u30fc\u30b1\u30ea\u30f3\u30b0 <\/a>\n <\/td>Shun\u014dkeringu<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Soccer<\/td> \u30b5\u30c3\u30ab\u30fc <\/a>\n <\/td>Sakk\u0101<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Swimming<\/td> \u6c34\u6cf3 <\/a>\n <\/td>Suiei<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tennis<\/td> \u30c6\u30cb\u30b9 <\/a>\n <\/td>Tenisu<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Traveling<\/td> \u65c5\u884c <\/a>\n <\/td>Ryok\u014d<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Urban exploration<\/td> \u63a2\u691c <\/a>\n <\/td>Tanken<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Volleyball<\/td> \u30d0\u30ec\u30fc\u30dc\u30fc\u30eb <\/a>\n <\/td>Bar\u0113b\u014dru<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Walking<\/td> \u6563\u6b69 <\/a>\n <\/td>Sanpo<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Weightlifting<\/td> \u30a6\u30a8\u30a4\u30c8\u30ea\u30d5\u30c6\u30a3\u30f3\u30b0 <\/a>\n <\/td>Ueitorifutingu<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Yoga<\/td> \u30e8\u30ac <\/a>\n <\/td>Yoga<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Creative and Crafty Hobbies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
English<\/th>Japanese<\/th>Romaji<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Acting<\/td> \u6f14\u6280 <\/a>\n <\/td>Engi<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Blogging<\/td> \u30d6\u30ed\u30b0 <\/a>\n <\/td>Burogu<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Calligraphy<\/td> \u66f8\u9053 <\/a>\n <\/td>Shod\u014d<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Candle making<\/td> \u30ad\u30e3\u30f3\u30c9\u30eb\u4f5c\u308a <\/a>\n <\/td>Kyandoru zukuri<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Crocheting<\/td> \u304b\u304e\u91dd\u7de8\u307f <\/a>\n <\/td>Kagibariami<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dancing<\/td> \u30c0\u30f3\u30b9 <\/a>\n <\/td>Dansu<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Drawing<\/td> \u63cf\u753b <\/a>\n <\/td>Byoga<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Film-making<\/td> \u6620\u753b\u88fd\u4f5c <\/a>\n <\/td>Eiga Seisaku<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Karaoke<\/td> \u30ab\u30e9\u30aa\u30b1 <\/a>\n <\/td>Karaoke<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Knitting<\/td> \u7de8\u307f\u7269 <\/a>\n <\/td>Amimono<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Metalworking<\/td> \u91d1\u5c5e\u52a0\u5de5 <\/a>\n <\/td>Kinzoku Kak\u014d<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mode building<\/td> \u6a21\u578b\u306e\u69cb\u7bc9 <\/a>\n <\/td>Mokei no Kochiku<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Origami<\/td> \u6298\u308a\u7d19 <\/a>\n <\/td>Origami<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Painting<\/td> \u7d75\u753b <\/a>\n <\/td>Kaiga<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Photography<\/td> \u5199\u771f\u64ae\u5f71 <\/a>\n <\/td>Shashin Satsuei<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Podcasting<\/td> \u30dd\u30c3\u30c9\u30ad\u30e3\u30b9\u30c8 <\/a>\n <\/td>Podokyasuto<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pottery making<\/td> \u9676\u82b8 <\/a>\n <\/td>T\u014dgei<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Puzzle solving<\/td> \u8b0e\u89e3\u304d <\/a>\n <\/td>Nazotoki<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sculpting<\/td> \u5f6b\u523b <\/a>\n <\/td>Ch\u014dkoku<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sewing<\/td> \u7e2b\u88fd <\/a>\n <\/td>H\u014dsei<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Singing<\/td> \u6b4c\u5531 <\/a>\n <\/td>Kash\u014d<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Soap making<\/td> \u77f3\u9e78\u4f5c\u308a <\/a>\n <\/td>Sekken Tsukuri<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Theater<\/td> \u6f14\u5287 <\/a>\n <\/td>Engeki<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Playing musical instruments<\/td> \u697d\u5668\u6f14\u594f <\/a>\n <\/td>Gakki Ens\u014d<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Woodworking<\/td> \u6728\u5de5 <\/a>\n <\/td>Mokk\u014d<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Writing<\/td> \u57f7\u7b46 <\/a>\n <\/td>Shippitsu<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Other Hobbies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
English<\/th>Japanese<\/th>Romaji<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Beer brewing<\/td> \u30d3\u30fc\u30eb\u91b8\u9020 <\/a>\n <\/td>B\u012bru J\u014dz\u014d<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Board gaming<\/td> \u30dc\u30fc\u30c9\u30b2\u30fc\u30e0 <\/a>\n <\/td>B\u014ddo G\u0113mu<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cosplay<\/td> \u30b3\u30b9\u30d7\u30ec <\/a>\n <\/td>Kosupure<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Reading<\/td> \u8aad\u66f8 <\/a>\n <\/td>Dokusho<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
E-sports<\/td> E\u30b9\u30dd\u30fc\u30c4 <\/a>\n <\/td>\u012a Sup\u014dtsu<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Juggling<\/td> \u30b8\u30e3\u30b0\u30ea\u30f3\u30b0 <\/a>\n <\/td>Jaguringu<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Volunteering<\/td> \u30dc\u30e9\u30f3\u30c6\u30a3\u30a2 <\/a>\n <\/td>Borantia<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Collecting (coins, stamps,etc.)<\/td> \u53ce\u96c6 <\/a>\n <\/td>Sh\u016bsh\u016b<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cooking<\/td> \u6599\u7406 <\/a>\n <\/td>Ry\u014dri<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Historical reenactments<\/td> \u6b74\u53f2\u306e\u518d\u73fe <\/a>\n <\/td>Rekishi no Saigen<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Baking<\/td> \u30d9\u30fc\u30ad\u30f3\u30b0 <\/a>\n <\/td>B\u0113kingu<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Video gaming<\/td> \u30d3\u30c7\u30aa\u30b2\u30fc\u30e0 <\/a>\n <\/td>Bideo G\u0113mu<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Model railroading<\/td> \u9244\u9053\u6a21\u578b <\/a>\n <\/td>Tetsud\u014d Mokei<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

How to Talk About Hobbies in Japanese<\/h2>\n

Here’s everything you need to know about how to talk about your hobbies:<\/p>\n

Sentence structures for discussing hobbies<\/h3>\n

In Japanese, you can express your hobbies using two primary sentence structures:<\/p>\n

\u8da3\u5473\u306f + [Hobby] \u3067\u3059\u3002<\/strong> (Shumi wa [Hobby] desu.)\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 [Hobby] is my hobby.<\/p>\n

This structure directly connects the word \u8da3\u5473 (shumi)<\/em> to the specific hobby using the particle \u306f (wa).<\/em><\/p>\n

[Hobby] \u3092\u3059\u308b\u306e\u304c\u8da3\u5473\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/strong> ([Hobby] o suru no ga shumi desu.)\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 I enjoy doing [hobby].\u00a0<\/p>\n

This structure emphasizes the action of doing the hobby by using the verb-noun form \u3092\u3059\u308b (o suru), followed by the particle \u306e\u304c (no ga),<\/em> which links the action to the noun \u8da3\u5473 (shumi).<\/em><\/p>\n

Using \u3053\u3068 and \u306e to discuss hobbies<\/h3>\n

In Japanese, both \u3053\u3068 (koto)<\/em> and \u306e (no)<\/em> are commonly used to discuss hobbies, but they are employed in slightly different contexts.<\/p>\n

\u3053\u3068 is often used to express abstract actions or activities. It transforms a verb into a noun, indicating that the activity described by the verb is a general concept or idea. Here are some examples:\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u97f3\u697d\u3092\u8074\u304f\u3053\u3068\u304c\u597d\u304d\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/strong> (Ongaku o kiku koto ga suki desu.)\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 I like listening to music.<\/p>\n

\u8aad\u66f8\u3059\u308b\u3053\u3068\u304c\u8da3\u5473\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/strong> (Dokusho suru koto ga shumi desu.)<\/em> \u2014 Reading is my hobby.<\/p>\n

When discussing hobbies, \u306e links the noun representing the activity with the rest of the sentence. It’s particularly useful when the hobby is a concrete noun. Here’s how to use it:\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u91ce\u7403\u306e\u89b3\u6226\u304c\u8da3\u5473\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/strong> (Yaky\u016b no kansen ga shumi desu.)<\/em> \u2014 Watching baseball is my hobby.<\/p>\n

\u6599\u7406\u306e\u672c\u3092\u8aad\u3080\u306e\u304c\u597d\u304d\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/strong> (Ry\u014dri no hon o yomu no ga suki desu.)<\/em> \u2014 I like reading cookbooks.<\/p>\n

As a general rule, \u3053\u3068 is applied to verbs while \u306e is used for nouns.<\/p>\n

How to talk about more than one hobby<\/h3>\n

To talk about multiple hobbies, you can simply list them using the conjunction “\u3068” (to), meaning “and.” For example:<\/p>\n

\u8da3\u5473\u306f\u8aad\u66f8\u3068\u30b5\u30c3\u30ab\u30fc\u3068\u30d4\u30a2\u30ce\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/strong> (Shumi wa dokusho to sakk\u0101 to piano desu.)<\/em> \u2014 My hobbies are reading, soccer and playing the piano.<\/p>\n

You can also use the \u305f\u308a (tari)<\/em> form to express a list of activities or hobbies. Here’s how you can apply this structure to your sentence:<\/p>\n

\u8da3\u5473\u306f\u672c\u3092\u8aad\u3093\u3060\u308a\u3001\u8d70\u3063\u305f\u308a\u3001\u97f3\u697d\u3092\u805e\u3044\u305f\u308a\u3059\u308b\u3053\u3068\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/strong> (Shumi wa hon o yondari, hashitta ri, ongaku o kiitari suru koto desu.)<\/em> \u2014 My hobbies include things like reading books, running and listening to music.<\/p>\n

This form provides a sense of variety, indicating that these activities are just a few examples of the speaker’s hobbies.\u00a0<\/p>\n

How to ask about someone else’s hobbies<\/h3>\n

To inquire about someone else’s hobbies, you can use the following phrases:<\/p>\n

\u8da3\u5473\u306f\u4f55\u3067\u3059\u304b\uff1f<\/strong> (Shumi wa nan desu ka?)<\/em> \u2014 What is your hobby?<\/p>\n

\u6687\u306a\u6642\u306f\u4f55\u3092\u3059\u308b\u306e\uff1f<\/strong> (Hima na toki wa nani o suru no?)<\/em> \u2014 What do you do in your free time?<\/p>\n

\u4f55\u304b\u8da3\u5473\u306f\u3042\u308a\u307e\u3059\u304b\uff1f<\/strong> (Nani ka shumi wa arimasu ka?)<\/em> \u2014 Do you have any hobbies?<\/p>\n

Vocabulary for Discussing Hobbies\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Finally, here are some useful vocabulary words<\/a> related to discussing hobbies:<\/p>\n