Japanese symbol for “cane”
杖
つえ
Romaji: tsue
cane; walking stick; staff; wand
In Japanese, cane is 杖, read つえ (tsue).
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 cane; walking stick; staff; wand
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “cane”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 籐 | とう tou | rattan; (rattan) cane (e.g. used in wicker furniture) |
| ケーン | ケーン keen | cane; (walking) stick; wand |
| ステッキ | ステッキ sutekki | (walking) stick; cane; wand |
| 鞭 | むち muchi | stick; cane; rod |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 松葉杖 | まつばづえ matsubazue | crutch; crutches |
| 頬杖 | ほおづえ hoozue | resting one's chin in one's hands |
| 虎杖 | いたどり itadori | Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica); flowering bamboo |
| 錫杖 | しゃくじょう shakujou | khakkhara (staff topped with metal rings traditionally carried by monks); pewter staff |
| 金剛杖 | こんごうづえ kongouzue | pilgrim's staff |
| 仕込み杖 | しこみづえ shikomizue | swordstick; sword cane; loaded cane |
See also: Chinese symbol for “cane”.
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.