mizu shobai

noun

The nightlife-centered industries and establishments in Japan.

OriginJapanese 水商売 →
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Meanings

nounmizu shobai (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe nightlife-centered industries and establishments in Japan.

Origin

  1. Japanese水商売
  2. Englishmizu shobai

From Japanese 水商売 (mizu shōbai, literally “water trade”).

More words from Japanese

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

mizu shobai. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mizu%20shobai

MLA

“mizu shobai.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mizu%20shobai. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mizu shobai,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mizu%20shobai.

Source: mizu shobai on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.