Japanese symbol for “consecration”
奉献
ほうけん
Romaji: houken
dedication; presentation; consecration; offer (to a shrine)
In Japanese, consecration is 奉献, read ほうけん (houken).
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, vs, vt dedication; presentation; consecration; offer (to a shrine)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “consecration”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 聖別 | せいべつ seibetsu | consecration |
| 祝別 | しゅくべつ shukubetsu | consecration (of a person or thing, in Catholicism); sanctification; prayer of sanctification |
| 神聖化 | しんせいか shinseika | sanctification; consecration |
| 聖化 | せいか seika | sanctification; consecration |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 奉仕 | ほうし houshi | service; ministry; attendance |
| 奉納 | ほうのう hounou | dedication; offering; presentation |
| 信奉 | しんぽう shinpou | belief; faith; adherence |
| 奉行 | ぶぎょう bugyou | magistrate; shogunate administrator |
| 奉公 | ほうこう houkou | live-in domestic service; live-in apprenticeship |
| 町奉行 | まちぶぎょう machibugyou | (Edo-period) town magistrate |
| 貢献 | こうけん kouken | contribution (furthering a goal or cause); services (to a cause) |
| 文献 | ぶんけん bunken | literature; books (reference); document |
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.