King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Japanese symbol for “harness”

Romaji: sougu
equipment; harness; fittings

In Japanese, harness is , read (sougu).

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 equipment; harness; fittings
  2. n orthotic; orthosis; brace; prosthetic appliance (med)

Kanji and stroke order

attire, dress, pretend
on: ソウ、ショウ
kun: よそお.う、よそお.い
12 strokes · JLPT 2
tool, utensil, means
on: グ
kun: そな.える、つぶさ.に
8 strokes · JLPT 2

Other Japanese words for “harness”

WordReadingMeaning
ハーネス haanesuharness
ばぐ baguhorse tack; horse gear; harness
どうわ douwaharness (of a dog); pet harness
ばくたい bakutai(webbed) harness (esp. parachute)
うわしき uwashikisaddlecloth; harness

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

WordReadingMeaning
そうち souchiequipment; device; installation
ぶそう busouarms; armament; taking up arms
いしょう ishouclothing; costume; outfit
ふくそう fukusouattire; dress; clothes
そうしょく soushokuornament; decoration
そうび soubiequipment
ぐあい guaicondition; state
どうぐ dougutool; implement; instrument

See also: Chinese symbol for “harness”.

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.