Japanese symbol for “defences”

武備

ぶび

Romaji: bubi

military preparation; armaments; defenses; defences

In Japanese, defences is 武備, read ぶび (bubi).

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 military preparation; armaments; defenses; defences

Kanji and stroke order

武

warrior, military, chivalry

on: ブ、ム
kun: たけ、たけ.し

8 strokes · JLPT 2

備

equip, provision, preparation

on: ビ
kun: そな.える、そな.わる、つぶさ.に

12 strokes · JLPT 2

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

Word	Reading	Meaning
武器	ぶき buki	weapon; arms; ordnance
武装	ぶそう busou	arms; armament; taking up arms
武力	ぶりょく buryoku	armed might; military power; the sword
武士	ぶし bushi	samurai; warrior
武将	ぶしょう bushou	military commander
武道	ぶどう budou	martial arts; military arts; Bushido
準備	じゅんび junbi	preparation; arrangements; getting ready
整備	せいび seibi	maintenance; servicing

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.