Japanese symbol for “citadel”
城郭
じょうかく
Romaji: joukaku
castle; citadel; fortress
In Japanese, citadel is 城郭, read じょうかく (joukaku).
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 castle; citadel; fortress
- n castle walls; enclosure
Written forms: 城郭、城廓. Readings: じょうかく.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “citadel”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 根城 | ねじろ nejiro | stronghold; citadel |
| 城塞 | じょうさい jousai | fortress; stronghold; citadel |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 城下町 | じょうかまち joukamachi | castle town; city in Japan that developed around the castle of a feudal lord |
| 城主 | じょうしゅ joushu | lord of a castle |
| 古城 | こじょう kojou | old castle; old fortress |
| 城壁 | じょうへき jouheki | castle wall; town walls; defensive wall |
| 金城 | きんじょう kinjou | impregnable castle |
| 城内 | じょうない jounai | inside of a castle |
| 輪郭 | りんかく rinkaku | contour; outline; silhouette |
| 外郭 | がいかく gaikaku | outer fence; outer enclosure; outer block |
See also: Chinese symbol for “citadel”.
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.