Japanese symbol for “ashes”
遺骨
いこつ
Romaji: ikotsu
cremated remains (esp. the bones); ashes
In Japanese, ashes is 遺骨, read いこつ (ikotsu).
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
- n cremated remains (esp. the bones); ashes
- n remains (of war dead)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “ashes”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 灰 | はい hai | ash; ashes |
| 骨 | こつ kotsu | cremated remains (esp. the bones); ashes |
| 灰殻 | はいがら haigara | ashes |
| 遺灰 | いはい ihai | ashes (of the deceased); remains from cremation |
| 燃えカス | もえかす moekasu | cinders; ashes |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 遺産 | いさん isan | inheritance; bequest; legacy |
| 遺体 | いたい itai | (dead) body; corpse; remains |
| 遺跡 | いせき iseki | (archeological) remains; ruins; relics |
| 遺伝 | いでん iden | heredity; (genetic) inheritance |
| 遺伝子 | いでんし idenshi | gene |
| 遺言 | ゆいごん yuigon | will; testament; one's dying wish |
| 骨折 | こっせつ kossetsu | bone fracture |
| 露骨 | ろこつ rokotsu | open; unconcealed; undisguised |
See also: Chinese symbol for “ashes”.
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.