Japanese symbol for “crux”
核心
かくしん
Romaji: kakushin
core; heart (of the matter); point; crux
In Japanese, crux is 核心, read かくしん (kakushin).
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 core; heart (of the matter); point; crux; kernel
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “crux”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 肝 | きも kimo | crux; essential point; key |
| 難点 | なんてん nanten | crux (of a matter); difficult point; point of contention |
| 本丸 | ほんまる honmaru | core; center; centre |
| 急所 | きゅうしょ kyuusho | key point; essential point; crux (of a problem) |
| 十字座 | じゅうじざ juujiza | Crux (constellation) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 核兵器 | かくへいき kakuheiki | nuclear weapon |
| 中核 | ちゅうかく chuukaku | kernel; core; nucleus |
| 結核 | けっかく kekkaku | tuberculosis; TB |
| 核弾頭 | かくだんとう kakudantou | nuclear warhead |
| 核酸 | かくさん kakusan | nucleic acid |
| 中心 | ちゅうしん chuushin | center; centre; middle |
| 心配 | しんぱい shinpai | worry; concern; anxiety |
| 安心 | あんしん anshin | peace of mind; relief; (sense of) security |
See also: Chinese symbol for “crux”.
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.