Japanese symbol for “homesickness”
望郷
ぼうきょう
Romaji: boukyou
homesickness; nostalgia
In Japanese, homesickness is 望郷, read ぼうきょう (boukyou).
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 homesickness; nostalgia
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “homesickness”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 郷愁 | きょうしゅう kyoushuu | nostalgia; homesickness |
| ホームシック | ホームシック hoomushikku | homesickness |
| 里心 | さとごころ satogokoro | homesickness; nostalgia |
| 帰心 | きしん kishin | homesickness |
| 懐郷病 | かいきょうびょう kaikyoubyou | homesickness |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 希望 | きぼう kibou | hope; wish; aspiration |
| 絶望 | ぜつぼう zetsubou | despair; hopelessness |
| 要望 | ようぼう youbou | demand for; request |
| 望む | のぞむ nozomu | to desire; to want; to wish for |
| 展望 | てんぼう tenbou | view; outlook; prospect |
| 願望 | がんぼう ganbou | desire; wish; aspiration |
| 故郷 | ふるさと furusato | hometown; birthplace; native place |
| 郷土 | きょうど kyoudo | native place; birth-place; one's old home |
See also: Chinese symbol for “homesickness”.
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.