How to say "Confession" in Japanese

When translating "confession" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between 白状 and 告白. In Japanese, 白状 (はくじょう (hakujō)) is typically associated with "confession; admission" (Syllabus Level: N2) and represents To admit to something, often a wrongdoing or a secret, after initially hiding it. Can be voluntary or coerced.. On the other hand, 告白 (こくはく (kokuhaku)) maps to "confession, acknowledgement; (love) confession" (Syllabus Level: N2) and represents To confess a secret, a crime, or one's true feelings. A literal translation of "confession" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!