Japanese symbol for “crucible”

In Japanese, crucible is 坩堝, read るつぼ (rutsubo).

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

1. n crucible; melting pot
2. n melting pot (of cultures, ideas, etc.)
3. n state of ecstasy; state of fevered excitement

Written forms: 坩堝. Readings: るつぼ、かんか.

Kanji and stroke order

↻ Replay stroke order

Other Japanese words for “crucible”

See also: Chinese symbol for “crucible”.

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.