King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Japanese symbol for “focus”

Romaji: shouten
focus; focal point

In Japanese, focus is , read (shouten).

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

  1. n focus; focal point
  2. n focus (of attention, a discussion, etc.); point at issue; central point
  3. n focus (geom)

Kanji and stroke order

char, hurry, impatient
on: ショウ
kun: こ.げる、こ.がす、こ.がれる、あせ.る
12 strokes · JLPT 1
spot, point, mark
on: テン
kun: つ.ける、つ.く、た.てる、さ.す
9 strokes · JLPT 2

Other Japanese words for “focus”

WordReadingMeaning
ちゅうしん chuushincenter; centre; middle
しんげん shingenhypocentre (of an earthquake); hypocenter; focus
ピント pintofocus (of a lens); focal point
びょうそう byousoufocus; nidus; lesion
しゅうちゅう shuuchuuconcentration (of population, buildings, power, etc.); centralization; convergence

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

WordReadingMeaning
あせり aseriimpatience
あせる aseruto be in a hurry; to be impatient; to be anxious (to do)
しょうそう shousouimpatience; irritation; frustration
こげる kogeruto burn; to scorch; to char
しょうど shoudoscorched earth
してん shitenpoint of view; viewpoint; angle
ちてん chitenspot; point; place
じてん jitenpoint in time; occasion

See also: Chinese symbol for “focus”.

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.

Last posts

  1. What Size Shinai Does a Child Need for Kendo Practice
  2. Best Polypropylene Bokken for Hard Contact Training
  3. Best Foam Swords for Kids Martial Arts and Safe Practice
  4. Are Cold Steel Training Swords Good for Practice
  5. Shinai Maintenance and Essential Tools for Bamboo Care
  6. Best Shinai for Kendo Beginners Choosing Your First Sword
  7. Choosing the Best Bokken for Kendo Kata
  8. Using a Tsuba on Your Bokken for Partner Practice
  9. How Much Should You Spend on a Wooden Practice Sword
  10. How Long Should a Bokken Be for Your Height