Japanese symbol for “ideology”
思想
しそう
Romaji: shisou
thought; idea; ideology
In Japanese, ideology is 思想, read しそう (shisou).
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 thought; idea; ideology
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “ideology”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 理念 | りねん rinen | (Platonic) ideal (of how things ought to be, e.g. human rights); foundational principle; idea |
| イデオロギー | イデオロギー ideorogii | ideology |
| 観念形態 | かんねんけいたい kannenkeitai | ideology |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 思う | おもう omou | to think; to consider; to believe |
| 思い | おもい omoi | thought |
| 思い出 | おもいで omoide | memories; recollections; reminiscence |
| 不思議 | ふしぎ fushigi | wonderful; marvelous; strange |
| 思わず | おもわず omowazu | unconsciously; involuntarily; instinctively |
| 予想 | よそう yosou | expectation; anticipation; prediction |
| 想像 | そうぞう souzou | imagination; supposition; guess |
| 感想 | かんそう kansou | impressions; thoughts; feelings |
See also: Chinese symbol for “ideology”.
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.