King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Japanese symbol for “alteration”

Romaji: henkou
change; modification; alteration; revision

In Japanese, alteration is , read (henkou).

Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.

Meanings

  1. n, vs, vt change; modification; alteration; revision; amendment

Written forms: . Readings: .

Kanji and stroke order

unusual, change, strange
on: ヘン
kun: か.わる、か.わり、か.える
9 strokes · JLPT 2
grow late, night watch, sit up late
on: コウ
kun: さら、さら.に、ふ.ける、ふ.かす
7 strokes · JLPT 2

Other Japanese words for “alteration”

WordReadingMeaning
へんか henkachange; variation; alteration
しゅうせい shuuseiamendment; correction; revision
かいせい kaiseirevision; amendment; alteration
かいぞう kaizouremodeling; remodelling; reconstruction
かえ kaechange; alteration

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

WordReadingMeaning
たいへん taihenvery; greatly; terribly
へんか henkachange; variation; alteration
かわる kawaruto change; to be transformed; to be altered
へんどう hendouchange; fluctuation
へんしん henshinmetamorphosis; disguise; transformation
さらに saranifurthermore; again; after all
こうしん koushinrenewal; update; replacement
こうせい kouseirehabilitation; remaking one's life; starting life anew

Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.

Last posts

  1. Choosing the Best Wooden Tanto for Realistic Knife Drills
  2. What Is a Suburito and Is It Worth Buying for Strength
  3. Buying a Wooden Wakizashi for Two-Sword Practice
  4. Buying Chanbara Swords for Sparring and Competition
  5. What Size Shinai Does a Child Need for Kendo Practice
  6. Best Polypropylene Bokken for Hard Contact Training
  7. Best Foam Swords for Kids Martial Arts and Safe Practice
  8. Are Cold Steel Training Swords Good for Practice
  9. Shinai Maintenance and Essential Tools for Bamboo Care
  10. Best Shinai for Kendo Beginners Choosing Your First Sword