Japanese symbol for “folklore”
伝説
でんせつ
Romaji: densetsu
legend; folklore; tradition
In Japanese, folklore is 伝説, read でんせつ (densetsu).
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 legend; folklore; tradition
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “folklore”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 民話 | みんわ minwa | folk tale; folktale; folk story |
| 伝承 | でんしょう denshou | handing down (information); legend; tradition |
| 言い伝え | いいつたえ iitsutae | tradition; folklore; legend |
| 俗説 | ぞくせつ zokusetsu | common saying; popular version; folklore |
| フォークロア | フォークロア fookuroa | folklore |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 伝統 | でんとう dentou | tradition; convention |
| 宣伝 | せんでん senden | publicity; advertisement; advertising |
| 手伝い | てつだい tetsudai | helper; assistant |
| 遺伝 | いでん iden | heredity; (genetic) inheritance |
| 遺伝子 | いでんし idenshi | gene |
| 説明 | せつめい setsumei | explanation; exposition; description |
| 小説 | しょうせつ shousetsu | novel; story; (work of) fiction |
| 解説 | かいせつ kaisetsu | explanation; commentary; exposition |
See also: Chinese symbol for “folklore”.
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.