Explore the World of ‘Shumi’: Your Guide to Japanese Hobbies
Useful Words and Phrases for Talking About Hobbies in Japanese
In Japanese, hobby is shumi (趣味 しゅみ ).
Unlike its English connotation, the Japanese word has a wider range of meanings, from something you do often as a pastime to something you do seriously but that is not work.
Hobbies are a typical topic of conversation. Whether you’re learning Japanese or planning to visit Japan, knowing how to talk about your interests is essential for making friends and striking up conversations.
In this article, we’ll explore common hobbies and some useful words and phrases in Japanese.
Hobbies in Japanese || What is shumi
Hobbies in Japanese || Original Meaning of Shumi
Hobbies in Japanese || Popular Shumi in Japan
Hobbies in Japanese || Other Hobbies in Japanese
Hobbies in Japanese || Culture Center
Hobbies in Japanese || FAQs
Hobbies in Japanese || What is Shumi
As mentioned above, 趣味 しゅみ shumi in Japanese is a word with a very broad meaning. Many English speakers might get a strange impression when they hear a Japanese person say, “My hobby is reading.”
In Japanese, shumi basically means something you do even though you have no obligation to do it, and this arises from the fact that different people have very different levels of enthusiasm for the activity.
In Japanese, if you say “My shumi is reading,” it simply means “I read books in my free time.”
On the other hand, if you say something like “Shumi is climbing“, it gives the impression that you are quite serious about the activity, have invested a significant amount of money in it, and have a lot of knowledge about mountains.
Hobbies in Japanese || Original Meaning of Shumi
The word 趣味 しゅみ originally described a person’s senses and sensibilities.
It is a word that can be translated as “taste” in English.
趣味のいい家具。
しゅみのいいかぐShumi no ii kagu.
Tasteful furniture.
それは悪趣味だ。
それはあくしゅみだ。Sore wa akushumi da.
That’s in bad taste.
Thus, the term refers to the tendency or direction of personal interests, which may lead to the meaning that is close to “hobbies.” That may be why both killing time and serious activities are called shumi in Japanese.
Hobbies in Japanese || Popular Shumi in Japan
In Japanese, when asking about someone’s hobbies you can say:
趣味はなんですか？
しゅみはなんですか？Shumi wa nandesuka?
What are your hobbies?
The most common hobbies that Japanese people list are as follow:
| JAPANESE | ROMAJI | ENGLISH MEANING |
| 読書 どくしょ | dokusho | Reading |
| 旅行 りょこう | ryokou | Traveling |
| ジム | jimu | Going to gym |
| 筋トレ きんトレ | Kin-tore | Strength training |
| ジョギング | jokkingu | Jogging |
| 食べ歩き たべあるき | tabearuki | Eating out |
| 写真 しゃしん | Shashin | Photographing |
| 推し活 おしかつ | oshikatsu | Fan activities |
There are many Japanese people who answer that reading is their hobby.
Recently, it may be YouTube or TikTok. In most cases, this is not because they are passionate about reading books or watching videos, but because they just say so as a temporary answer.
The word shumi encompasses any activity that a person is very serious about, so if they’re not doing anything that serious, they often talk about what they do when they have free time.
Thus, many Japanese often say:
趣味と呼べるほどのことはありません。
しゅみとよべるほどのことはありません。Shumi to yoberu hodono kotowa arimasen.
It’s not really something you could call a hobby.
This is really often said when talking about shumi in Japan. Japanese people are very serious, and some people believe that if you are working hard at something but don’t have the superb skill to do it, it shouldn’t be called a hobby.
To such serious Japanese people, it would be good to ask them the following questions:
休みの日は何をしていますか？
やすみのひはなにをしていますか？Yasumi no hi wa naniwo shite imasuka?
What do you do on your days off?
何か最近ハマってることはありますか？
なにかさいきんハマってることはありますか？Nanika saikin hamatteiru kotowa arimasuka?
Is there anything you’ve been into lately?
Hamaru ハマる means to be fond of or engrossed in something, though not as serious as Shumi.
If you want to ask a question that feels more casual, it’s better to use the word. The subject can be anything, such as an activity, a celebrity, or food.
最近はジョギングにハマっています。
さいきんはジョギングにハマっています。Saikin wa jogingu ni hamatte imasu.
I’ve recently become addicted to jogging.
彼は新しいゲームにハマっている。
かれはあたらしいゲームにハマっている。Kare wa atarashii ge-mu ni hamatte iru.
He’s into new games.
Traveling and going to the gym may be close to the nuance of hobbies in English. Some people choose not to go to the gym and instead do strength training or jogging at home or outside.
趣味は筋トレです。
しゅみはきんトレです。Shumi wa kintore desu.
My hobby is weight training.
趣味はジョギングです。
しゅみはジョギングです。Shumi wa jogingu desu.
I like jogging.
食べ歩き たべある tabearuki means going around to different restaurants. Unlike simply eating out, the emphasis is on walking around. Rather than going to a specific store, gather information online and try out new stores one after another.
趣味は食べ歩きです。これまで100軒以上のラーメン屋に行きました。
しゅみはたべあるきです。これまで100けんいじょうのラーメンやにいきました。Shumi wa tabearuki desu. Kore made hyakken ijou no ra-men-ya ni ikimashita.
My hobby is eating out. I’ve been to over 100 ramen restaurants so far.
In Japan, there are famous camera manufacturers such as Sony, Canon, and Nikon, and many people have photography as a hobby. Of course, there are also people who like to take pictures casually with their smartphones.
Now that it’s easy to post photos and videos on social media, many people have a hobby of taking photos and uploading them to social media.
Many fans of anime, movies, and idols say that oshikatsu (推し活 おしかつ ) is a hobby. 推し おし oshi means faves. This doesn’t just mean being a fan, it also means visiting the places where the work is set, buying related books and merchandise, and traveling to events far away.
Hobbies in Japanese || Other Popular Hobbies in Japanese
Here are other popular hobbies in Japanese. Is there your favorite?
| JAPANESE | ROMAJI | ENGLISH MEANING |
| 映画鑑賞 えいがかんしょう | eiga kanshou | Watching movies |
| 飲みに行く のみにいく | nomi ni iku | Going our for drinking |
| でかける | dekakeru | Going out with friends |
| 音楽鑑賞 おんがくかんしょう | ongaku kanshou | Listening to music |
| 美術館・博物館巡り びじゅつかん・はくぶつかんめぐり | bijutsukan hakubutsukan meguri | Tour of museums |
| ハイキング | haikingu | Hiking |
| 野球 やきゅう | yakyuu | Baseball |
| サッカー | sakka- | Soccer |
| バスケットボール | basuketto bo-ru | Basketball |
| バレーボール | bare- bo-ru | Valeyball |
| 卓球 たっきゅう | Takkyuu | Table tennis |
| 水泳 すいえい | Sui-ei | Swimming |
| ボウリング | bo-ringu | Bowling |
| スケート | suke-to | Skate |
| スケボー | suke-bo- | Skateboarding |
| フットサル | huttosaru | Futsal |
| ボクシング | bokusingu | Boxing |
| アメフト | amefuto | American Football |
| ラグビー | ragubi- | Rugby |
| 乗馬 じょうば | jouba | Riding Horses |
| ゴルフ | goruhu | Golf |
| スキー | suki- | Skiing |
| サーフィン | sa-fin | Surfing |
| 相撲 すもう | Sumo | Sumo wrestling |
| 釣り つり | tsuri | Fishing |
| ヨガ | yoga | Yoga |
| ボルダリング | borudaringu | Bouldering |
| キャンプ | kyampu | Camping |
| バーベキュー | ba-bekyu- | Barbecuing |
| スポーツ観戦 スポーツかんせん | supo-tsu kansen | Watching sports |
| タバコ | tabako | Smoking |
| 水タバコ みずタバコ | mizu-tabako | Shishah |
| 葉巻 はまき | hamaki | Cigar |
| ギャンブル | gyan-buru | Gambling |
| 馬 けいば | keiba | Horse Race |
| 競競輪 けいりん | keirin | Bicycle race |
| 競艇 きょうてい | kyoutei | Boat race |
| パチンコ | pachinko | Pinball game |
| ポーカー | po-ka- | Poker |
| ダーツ | da-tsu | Dart |
| 楽器演奏 がっきえんそう | gakki ensou | Playing a music instrument |
| ギター | gita- | Guitar |
| ベース | be-su | Bass guitar |
| ドラム | doramu | Drums |
| ボーカル | bo-karu | Vocal |
| キーボード | ki-bo-do | Keyboard |
| ピアノ | piano | Piano |
| バイオリン | baiorin | Violin |
| フルート | furu-to | Flute |
| バンド | bando | Band |
| ダンス | dansu | Dancing |
Hobbies in Japanese || Culture Center
In Japan, there are places called culture centers カルチャーセンター . Although it is targeted at relatively older people, it is like a club where people with the same hobbies gather.
In addition to the hobbies mentioned above, many culture centers also offer courses related to traditional Japanese culture and history, such as the tea ceremony, shogi, calligraphy, and local history.
Although we didn’t mention it above, learning English conversation is also a popular course in Japan, and many cultural centers offer classes there.
If you have the opportunity to live in Japan, it might be a good idea to meet people who are interested in English at these places and learn Japanese there.
What is your shumi? Share with us here!
Hobbies in Japanese || FAQs
What are hobbies in Japanese?
Hobbies are called 趣味 しゅみ shumi in Japanese.
What are some popular hobbies in Japan?
In Japan, many people have hobbies such as reading, jogging, and photography.
What is tabearuki?
食べ歩き たべあるき tabearuki means going around to different restaurants.
Are there any places in Japan where people with the same hobbies can gather?
Nowadays, people with the same hobbies tend to gather on social media, and in Japan there are also facilities called culture centers that offer a variety of courses.
What is Oshikatsu (推し活 おしかつ ) ?
It is basically fan activities, but include visiting the places where the work is set, buying related books and merchandise, and traveling to events far away.
Want More From LTL?
WANT TO LEARN JAPANESE? Check out our online Japanese courses here.
We offer a 7-day free trial to all new students where you can study 24/7.
What about studying Japanese in Japan instead? We’ve got your back. Our Japanese courses in Tokyo can either be taken in small groups of no more than 5 students or individually for a more tailored experience.
We even offer incredible homestay experiences in Tokyo as well.
Come and be a part of this amazing community.