Japanese symbol for “downtown”
町中
まちなか
Romaji: machinaka
downtown
In Japanese, downtown is 町中, read まちなか (machinaka).
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 downtown
Written forms: 町中、街中、街なか、町なか. Readings: まちなか.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “downtown”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 町 | まち machi | downtown; main street |
| 繁華街 | はんかがい hankagai | business district; shopping district; bustling street |
| ダウンタウン | ダウンタウン dauntaun | downtown |
| 商店街 | しょうてんがい shoutengai | shopping district; shopping street; downtown |
| 商業中心地 | しょうぎょうちゅうしんち shougyouchuushinchi | commercial center; downtown |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 下町 | したまち shitamachi | low-lying part of a city (usu. containing shops, factories, etc.) |
| 市町村 | しちょうそん shichouson | cities, towns and villages; municipalities |
| 町並み | まちなみ machinami | townscape; street (of stores and houses); (look of) stores and houses on street |
| 町内 | ちょうない chounai | neighborhood; neighbourhood; street |
| 町長 | ちょうちょう chouchou | town mayor |
| 中心 | ちゅうしん chuushin | center; centre; middle |
| 途中 | とちゅう tochuu | on the way; en route |
| 中央 | ちゅうおう chuuou | centre; center; middle |
See also: Chinese symbol for “downtown”.
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.