Japanese symbol for “firewood”
柴
しば
Romaji: shiba
brushwood; firewood
In Japanese, firewood is 柴, read しば (shiba).
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 brushwood; firewood
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “firewood”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 薪 | まき maki | kindling (twigs, branches, etc.); firewood |
| 焚き物 | たきもの takimono | firewood |
| 燃木 | もえぎ moegi | firewood |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 柴犬 | しばいぬ shibainu | shiba inu (dog breed); shiba; brushwood dog |
| 柴垣 | しばがき shibagaki | brushwood fence |
| 柴刈り | しばかり shibakari | firewood gathering |
| 柴舟 | しばふね shibafune | ginger-flavored rice cracker (specialty of Ishikawa Prefecture) |
| 噛柴 | たむしば tamushiba | willow-leafed magnolia (Magnolia salicifolia); anise magnolia |
| 沢柴 | さわしば sawashiba | heartleaf hornbeam (Carpinus cordata) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “firewood”.
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.