Japanese symbol for “facing”
向かい
むかい
Romaji: mukai
facing; opposite; across the street; other side
In Japanese, facing is 向かい, read むかい (mukai).
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 facing; opposite; across the street; other side
Written forms: 向かい、向い、対い. Readings: むかい.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “facing”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 対戦 | たいせん taisen | fighting (against); taking on (an opponent); facing |
| 合わせ | あわせ awase | joint together; opposite; facing |
| 対面 | たいめん taimen | facing (each other); opposing (traffic, etc.); confronting |
| 相対 | そうたい soutai | facing (e.g. a problem); confronting |
| 見返し | みかえし mikaeshi | facing (material sewn on the inside edge of a garment) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 方向 | ほうこう houkou | direction; orientation; bearing |
| 傾向 | けいこう keikou | tendency; trend; inclination |
| 向上 | こうじょう koujou | elevation; rise; improvement |
| 向き | むき muki | direction; orientation; aspect |
| 向こう | むこう mukou | opposite side; other side |
| 意向 | いこう ikou | intention; inclination; mind |
See also: Chinese symbol for “facing”.
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.