Japanese symbol for “chain”
鎖
くさり
Romaji: kusari
chain; chains
In Japanese, chain is 鎖, read くさり (kusari).
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 chain; chains
Written forms: 鎖、鏈、鏁. Readings: くさり.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “chain”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 連鎖 | れんさ rensa | chain; series; connection |
| チェーン | チェーン cheen | chain (bicycle, measuring, tire, etc.) |
| 一連 | いちれん ichiren | series; chain; sequence |
| 脈 | みゃく myaku | chain (of mountains, etc.) |
| 連環 | れんかん renkan | links; chain; shackle |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 閉鎖 | へいさ heisa | closing; closure |
| 封鎖 | ふうさ fuusa | blockade; lockdown; sealing off (an area) |
| 連鎖 | れんさ rensa | chain; series; connection |
| 鎖国 | さこく sakoku | national isolation; closing the country (to foreigners) |
| 鎖骨 | さこつ sakotsu | collarbone; clavicle |
| 経済封鎖 | けいざいふうさ keizaifuusa | economic blockade; embargo |
See also: Chinese symbol for “chain”.
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.