Top 60 Japanese Words for Tattoo with Kanji

Many want to get a tattoo in Japanese or Chinese, but have no idea which ideogram to use or what they mean. For that, we made a list of the main ideograms used in tattoos for you to get inspired.

It's important to remember that Japanese tattoos can have deep and culturally significant meaning, so it's important to do in-depth research before choosing a word or symbol to get tattooed. Also, it is important to find a reliable and experienced tattoo artist to ensure that the tattoo is correct and well done.

We recommend reading:

• Tattoo and Yakuza
• Japanese Tattoos - What does Japan think about tattoos?
• How do Japanese women face tattoos and piercings?

List of Japanese words for tattoo

Here we share a list of Japanese words with their meanings and their ideogram to be tattooed. You must do a search with CTRL + F to find what you want.

We also recommend placing the ideogram in an image editing application and placing it in the desired font and size, in order to present the photo to the tattoo artist, since we share text and not images in this article.

The list below may include, in addition to ideograms, some Japanese words written in katakana and hiragana.

1. "Family" (家族) - kazoku (family) in Japanese
2. "Friendship" (友情) - yuujou (friendship) in Japanese
3. "strength" (力) - chikara (strength) in Japanese
4. "Peace" (平和) - heiwa (peace) in Japanese
5. "Harmony" (調和) - chouwa (harmony) in Japanese
6. "Freedom" (自由) - jiyuu (freedom) in Japanese
7. "Happiness" (幸福) - koufuku (happiness) in Japanese
8. "Courage" (勇気) - yuuki (courage) in Japanese
9. "Honesty" (正直) - shoujiki (honesty) in Japanese
10. "Loyalty" (忠誠) - chuusei (loyalty) in Japanese
11. "Hope" (希望) - kibou (hope) in Japanese
12. "Joy" (喜び) - yorokobi (joy) in Japanese
13. "Love" (愛) - ai (love) in Japanese
14. "Luck" (幸運) - kouun (luck) in Japanese
15. "Respect" (尊敬) - sonkei (respect) in Japanese
16. "Wisdom" (知恵) - chie (wisdom) in Japanese
17. "Truth" (真実) - shinjitsu (truth) in Japanese
18. "Inspiration" (鼓舞) - kobu (inspiration) in Japanese
19. "Faith" (信仰) - shinkou (faith) in Japanese
20. "Benevolence" (仁慈) - niji (benevolence) in Japanese
21. "Gratitude" (感謝) - kansha (gratitude) in Japanese
22. "Forgiveness" (許し) - yurushi (forgiveness) in Japanese
23. "Kindness" (善) - zen (kindness) in Japanese
24. "Compassion" (慈悲) - jihi (compassion) in Japanese
25. "Inner strength" (内力) - nairiki (inner strength) in Japanese
26. "Determination" (決心) - kesshin (determination) in Japanese
27. "Success" (成功) - seikou (success) in Japanese
28. "Optimism" (楽観) - rakkan (optimism) in Japanese
29. "Patience" (忍耐) – nintai (patience) in Japanese
30. "Longevity" (長寿) - chouju (longevity) in Japanese
31. "Eternal happiness" (永遠の幸福) - eien no koufuku (eternal happiness) in Japanese
32. "Eternity" (永遠) - eien (eternity) in Japanese
33. "Immortality" (不死) - fushi (immortality) in Japanese
34. "Protection" (守り) - mamori (protection) in Japanese
35. "Growth" (成長) - seichou (growth) in Japanese
36. "Transformation" (変化) - henka (transformation) in Japanese
37. "Rebirth" (再生) - saisei (rebirth) in Japanese
38. "Change" (変わり) - kawari (change) in Japanese
39. "Evolution" (進化) – shinka (evolution) in Japanese
40. "Development" (発展) - hatten (development) in Japanese
41. "Purpose" (目的) - mokuteki (purpose) in Japanese
42. "Objective" (目標) - mokuhyou (objective) in Japanese
43. "Mission" (使命) - shimei (mission) in Japanese
44. "Vision" (ビジョン) - bijon (vision) in Japanese
45. "Purpose of life" (人生の目的) - jinsei no mokuteki (purpose of life) in Japanese
46. "Light" (光) - hikari (light) in Japanese
47. "Mirror" (鏡) - kagami (mirror) in Japanese
48. "Reflection" (反省) - hansei (reflection) in Japanese
49. "Self-discovery" (自己発見) - jiko hakken
50. "Kanji" (漢字) - the Japanese writing system using Chinese ideograms.
51. "Samurai" (侍) - noble warriors of the Japanese feudal period.
52. "Koi" (鯉) - a very popular freshwater fish in Japan.
53. "Tora" (虎) - tiger, a symbol of strength and courage.
54. "Oni" (鬼) - demons or evil spirits in Japanese culture.
55. "Yin yang" (陰陽) - the Chinese symbol representing balance between opposing forces.
56. "Sakura" (桜) - cherry blossom, a symbol of beauty and impermanence in Japanese culture.
57. "Hanya" (般若) - a Buddhist symbol representing wisdom and deep understanding.
58. "Kokoro" (心) - heart or spirit in Japanese.
59. "Namaste" (ナマステ) - an Indian saluto meaning "the divine in me salutes the divine in you".
60. "Arigato" (ありがとう) - "thank you" in Japanese.
61. "Aishiteru" (愛してる) - "I love you" in Japanese.