Japanese symbol for “capital”
都
みやこ
Romaji: miyako
capital (esp. Kyoto, Japan's former capital); seat of government
In Japanese, capital is 都, read みやこ (miyako).
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 capital (esp. Kyoto, Japan's former capital); seat of government
- n capital (of music, fashion, etc.); city (e.g. of light)
- n location of the Imperial Palace
Written forms: 都、京. Readings: みやこ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “capital”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 首都 | しゅと shuto | (national) capital (city); metropolis |
| 資金 | しきん shikin | funds; capital |
| 資本 | しほん shihon | funds; capital |
| 元 | もと moto | capital; principal; cost price |
| 中央 | ちゅうおう chuuou | capital; seat of government |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 都市 | とし toshi | town; city; municipal |
| 都合 | つごう tsugou | circumstances; condition; convenience |
| 首都 | しゅと shuto | (national) capital (city); metropolis |
| 都内 | とない tonai | within the (Tokyo) metropolitan area |
| 京都 | きょうと kyouto | Kyoto (city, prefecture) |
| 都会 | とかい tokai | city |
See also: Chinese symbol for “capital”.
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.