Tachi Ojo
Today I will talk about the Japanese term “tachi ojo”.
立ち往生
“Tachi” means “to stand”, “ojo” means “to die”, so “tachi ojo” refers to “to die while standing.”
今日は「立ち往生」という日本語を紹介します。
Yesterday I talked about “Benkei”.
「往生」は「死ぬこと」であるため、「立ち往生」は「立ったまま死ぬこと」を意味します。
It is believed that Benkei was shot by a lot of arrows from surroundings in the battle of Koromogawa, and he died while standing supported by his long halberd called naginata.
昨日、私は弁慶について話しました。
From this story, “tachi ojo” can also refer to a state that someone is incapable of moving or something is dead-end.
弁慶は衣側の戦いで前後から無数の矢を受け、薙刀を支えに立ったまま死んだと言われています。
By the way, I found that “Benkei’s tachi ojo” was translated into “the last stand of Benkei” in English on the Internet.
これが転じて、「立ち往生」は「身動きが取れない状態」や「何かが行き詰った状態」も表します。
