Japanese symbol for “contrarian”
天邪鬼
あまのじゃく
Romaji: amanojaku
perversity; perverse person; contrary person; contrarian
In Japanese, contrarian is 天邪鬼, read あまのじゃく (amanojaku).
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
- adj-na, adj-no, n perversity; perverse person; contrary person; contrarian
- n antagonistic demon in Japanese folklore
- n demon under the feet of temple guardian statues
Written forms: 天邪鬼、天の邪鬼、天ん邪鬼、天之邪鬼. Readings: あまのじゃく、あまんじゃく.
Kanji and stroke order
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 天皇 | てんのう tennou | Emperor of Japan |
| 天気 | てんき tenki | weather |
| 天才 | てんさい tensai | genius; prodigy; natural gift |
| 天然 | てんねん tennen | nature; spontaneity |
| 天国 | てんごく tengoku | paradise; heaven; Kingdom of Heaven |
| 天井 | てんじょう tenjou | ceiling |
| 邪魔 | じゃま jama | hindrance; obstacle; nuisance |
| 風邪 | かぜ kaze | (common) cold; influenza; flu |
| 吸血鬼 | きゅうけつき kyuuketsuki | vampire; bloodsucker |
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.