Japanese symbol for “gangster”
ヤクザ
ヤクザ
Romaji: yakuza
(member of the) yakuza; gangster; mobster
In Japanese, gangster is ヤクザ (yakuza).
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 (member of the) yakuza; gangster; mobster
- n hoodlum; racketeer; gambler
- adj-na, n useless; worthless; good-for-nothing; trashy
Written forms: —. Readings: ヤクザ、やくざ.
Other Japanese words for “gangster”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 組員 | くみいん kumiin | member (esp. of a criminal organization); gang member; gangster |
| ギャング | ギャング gyangu | gangster |
| 与太者 | よたもの yotamono | hooligan; layabout; good-for-nothing |
| 暴力団員 | ぼうりょくだんいん bouryokudan'in | member of an organized crime group; gangster; mobster |
| 暴力団組員 | ぼうりょくだんくみいん bouryokudankumiin | member of an organized crime group; yakuza; gangster |
See also: Chinese symbol for “gangster”.
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.