Japanese symbol for “books”
図書
としょ
Romaji: tosho
books
In Japanese, books is 図書, read としょ (tosho).
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 books
Written forms: 図書. Readings: としょ、ずしょ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “books”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 文献 | ぶんけん bunken | literature; books (reference); document |
| 典籍 | てんせき tenseki | books; writings |
| 巻帙 | かんちつ kanchitsu | books; volumes |
| 帳面面 | ちょうめんづら choumenzura | accounts; (the) books |
| ものの本 | もののほん mononohon | books |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 地図 | ちず chizu | map; atlas; chart |
| 図書館 | としょかん toshokan | library |
| 意図 | いと ito | intention; aim; design |
| 図る | はかる hakaru | to plan; to attempt; to devise |
| 合図 | あいず aizu | sign; signal; cue |
| 文書 | ぶんしょ bunsho | document; writing; letter |
| 書籍 | しょせき shoseki | book; publication |
| 書類 | しょるい shorui | document; papers |
See also: Chinese symbol for “books”.
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.