The Meaning of okujou [屋上] In Japanese

屋上
おくじょう
Romaji: okujou N5

What does 屋上 mean?

Translation and Meaning

rooftop, roof

Definition

屋上 means the rooftop—the exterior upper surface of a building; it denotes the outdoor space on top of a structure, often used for leisure, gardening, or maintenance access.

Type

noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • the rooftop area at the top of a building, used as outdoor space or terrace
  • an area for rooftop facilities or operations such as gardens, mechanical equipment, or access points

Composition

  • 屋 — roof, building; used in compounds to denote a building or sheltered space
  • 上 — above, up; contributes the sense of top or upper position

Usage

Used to refer to rooftops as a physical location on top of buildings, in casual conversation and formal contexts; commonly appears in real estate signage, architectural plans, urban planning discussions, and daily speech about going to the rooftop for fresh air or a view.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine 屋 as a house and 上 as ‘up’; together they depict climbing to the top of a house—the rooftop—so okujou becomes the ‘up-to-the-roof’ place.

Variations

  • ルーフトップ (rūfutoppu) — rooftop; loanword commonly used in modern contexts
  • 屋根の上 (やねのうえ, yane no ue) — on the roof; slightly different nuance

Example Phrases

  • 屋上で友達と星を眺めた夏の夜。
    okujou de tomodachi to hoshi o nagameta natsu no yoru
    On the rooftop, I gazed at the stars with my friends on a summer night.
    Lista:
    • 屋上 (okujou) – rooftop
    • で (de) – at/on
    • 友達 (tomodachi) – friends
    • と (to) – with
    • 星 (hoshi) – stars
    • を (wo) – (object marker)
    • 眺めた (nagameta) – gazed at
    • 夏 (natsu) – summer
    • の (no) – of
    • 夜 (yoru) – night
    The noun 「屋上」 means rooftop; the particle で marks the location where the action takes place, so 屋上で = on the rooftop.
屋上