Japanese symbol for “civilization”
文明
ぶんめい
Romaji: bunmei
civilization; civilisation; culture
In Japanese, civilization is 文明, read ぶんめい (bunmei).
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 civilization; civilisation; culture
- n Bunmei era (1469.4.28-1487.7.20)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “civilization”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 文化 | ぶんか bunka | culture; civilization; civilisation |
| 人文 | じんぶん jinbun | humanity; civilization; civilisation |
| 開明 | かいめい kaimei | civilization; civilisation; enlightenment |
| 教化 | きょうか kyouka | education; enlightenment; civilization |
| 開化 | かいか kaika | civilization; civilisation; enlightenment |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 文化 | ぶんか bunka | culture; civilization; civilisation |
| 文字 | もじ moji | letter (of an alphabet); character |
| 注文 | ちゅうもん chuumon | order (for an item) |
| 文書 | ぶんしょ bunsho | document; writing; letter |
| 文章 | ぶんしょう bunshou | writing; composition; essay |
| 論文 | ろんぶん ronbun | thesis; essay; treatise |
| 説明 | せつめい setsumei | explanation; exposition; description |
| 明日 | あした ashita | tomorrow |
See also: Chinese symbol for “civilization”.
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.