Japanese symbol for “dedication”
奉納
ほうのう
Romaji: hounou
dedication; offering; presentation; oblation
In Japanese, dedication is 奉納, read ほうのう (hounou).
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-no, n, vs dedication; offering; presentation; oblation
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “dedication”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 献身 | けんしん kenshin | devotion; dedication; self-sacrifice |
| 奉献 | ほうけん houken | dedication; presentation; consecration |
| 献辞 | けんじ kenji | dedication (e.g. at the front of a book); dedicatory message |
| 献呈 | けんてい kentei | presentation; dedication |
| ため書き | ためがき tamegaki | dedication (e.g. in books); inscription |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 奉仕 | ほうし houshi | service; ministry; attendance |
| 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 |
| 納得 | なっとく nattoku | consent; agreement; acceptance |
| 納税 | のうぜい nouzei | payment of taxes |
| 納豆 | なっとう nattou | natto (fermented soybeans) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “dedication”.
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.