# Isekai

- Term: Literature term
- Canonical: https://www.lanternhall.org/lexicon/isekai/

> Japanese for another world: stories in which someone from our world is transported, reincarnated or summoned into a fantasy realm, often gaining special powers. A close cousin of [Portal Fantasy](https://www.lanternhall.org/atlas/portal-fantasy/), it dominates much of modern light novels and anime and overlaps with [LitRPG & Progression Fantasy](https://www.lanternhall.org/atlas/litrpg/).

Japanese for another world: stories in which someone from our world is transported, reincarnated or summoned into a fantasy realm, often gaining special powers. A close cousin of [Portal Fantasy](https://www.lanternhall.org/atlas/portal-fantasy/), it dominates much of modern light novels and anime and overlaps with [LitRPG & Progression Fantasy](https://www.lanternhall.org/atlas/litrpg/).

**Origin:** Rooted in folktales such as Urashima Taro; modern examples date from the late 1970s and 1980s, and the genre boomed in the 2010s alongside Sword Art Online.

## Quick answers

**What does "Isekai" mean?**
Japanese for another world: stories in which someone from our world is transported, reincarnated or summoned into a fantasy realm, often gaining special powers. A close cousin of Portal Fantasy, it dominates much of modern light novels and anime and overlaps with LitRPG & Progression Fantasy.

**Where does the term "Isekai" come from?**
Rooted in folktales such as Urashima Taro; modern examples date from the late 1970s and 1980s, and the genre boomed in the 2010s alongside Sword Art Online.

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From The Lantern Hall (https://www.lanternhall.org/), a museum of fantasy literature and roleplaying games.