Japanese symbol for “beginning”
最初
さいしょ
Romaji: saisho
beginning; outset; first; onset
In Japanese, beginning is 最初, read さいしょ (saisho).
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
- adj-no, adv, n beginning; outset; first; onset
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “beginning”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 始め | はじめ hajime | beginning; start; outset |
| 当初 | とうしょ tousho | beginning; start; outset |
| 冒頭 | ぼうとう boutou | beginning; opening; start |
| 元 | もと moto | origin; source; beginning |
| 開始 | かいし kaishi | start; commencement; beginning |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 最近 | さいきん saikin | recently; lately; these days |
| 最後 | さいご saigo | end; conclusion |
| 最高 | さいこう saikou | best; supreme; wonderful |
| 最終 | さいしゅう saishuu | last; final; closing |
| 最大 | さいだい saidai | biggest; greatest; largest |
| 初期 | しょき shoki | early days; early years; early stages |
| 当初 | とうしょ tousho | beginning; start; outset |
| 初日 | しょにち shonichi | first day; opening day |
See also: Chinese symbol for “beginning”.
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.