Japanese symbol for “identity”
身元
みもと
Romaji: mimoto
(one's) identity; background; upbringing; birth (and parentage)
In Japanese, identity is 身元, read みもと (mimoto).
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 (one's) identity; background; upbringing; birth (and parentage)
- n (one's) character
Written forms: 身元、身許、身もと. Readings: みもと.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “identity”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 正体 | しょうたい shoutai | true character; true form; true colors |
| 氏名 | しめい shimei | (full) name; identity |
| 身分 | みぶん mibun | identity; birth; origin |
| アイデンティティ | アイデンティティ aidentiti | identity |
| 恒等 | こうとう koutou | identity |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 自身 | じしん jishin | (one's) self; oneself; yourself |
| 出身 | しゅっしん shusshin | one's origin (e.g. city, country, parentage, school) |
| 中身 | なかみ nakami | contents; interior; filling |
| 身長 | しんちょう shinchou | height (of a person); stature |
| 全身 | ぜんしん zenshin | whole (body); full-length (e.g. portrait) |
| 変身 | へんしん henshin | metamorphosis; disguise; transformation |
| 元気 | げんき genki | lively; full of spirit; energetic |
| 地元 | じもと jimoto | home area; home town |
See also: Chinese symbol for “identity”.
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.