Japanese symbol for “barbarism”
蛮行
ばんこう
Romaji: bankou
act of barbarity; barbarism; brutality; savagery
In Japanese, barbarism is 蛮行, read ばんこう (bankou).
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 act of barbarity; barbarism; brutality; savagery
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “barbarism”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| バーバリズム | バーバリズム baabarizumu | barbarism |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 野蛮 | やばん yaban | savage; barbarous; barbaric |
| 南蛮 | なんばん nanban | southern barbarians (name used in ancient China for non-Chinese ethnic groups to the south) |
| 蛮勇 | ばんゆう ban'yuu | foolhardiness; recklessness; savage valour |
| 蛮族 | ばんぞく banzoku | barbarian tribe; savage tribe |
| 蛮人 | ばんじん banjin | savage; barbarian; aboriginal |
| 行動 | こうどう koudou | action; conduct; behaviour |
| 行う | おこなう okonau | to perform; to do; to conduct oneself |
| 銀行 | ぎんこう ginkou | bank; banking institution |
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.