Japanese symbol for “firefighter”
消防
しょうぼう
Romaji: shoubou
fire fighting
In Japanese, firefighter is 消防, read しょうぼう (shoubou).
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 fire fighting
- n fire department; fire brigade; firefighter
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “firefighter”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 消防士 | しょうぼうし shouboushi | firefighter; fireman |
| 火消し役 | ひけしやく hikeshiyaku | firefighter (Edo period) |
| 定火消し | じょうびけし joubikeshi | firefighter (Edo period) |
| 鳶の者 | とびのもの tobinomono | firefighter (Edo period) |
| とび職 | とびしょく tobishoku | firefighter (Edo period) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 消費 | しょうひ shouhi | consumption; expenditure; spending |
| 解消 | かいしょう kaishou | cancellation; liquidation; resolution |
| 消滅 | しょうめつ shoumetsu | extinction; extinguishment; disappearance |
| 消化 | しょうか shouka | digestion (of food) |
| 取り消し | とりけし torikeshi | cancellation; withdrawal; abolition |
| 防衛 | ぼうえい bouei | defense; defence; protection |
| 防止 | ぼうし boushi | prevention; check |
| 予防 | よぼう yobou | prevention; protection (against); precaution |
See also: Chinese symbol for “firefighter”.
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.