Japanese symbol for “initiative”
主導
しゅどう
Romaji: shudou
leadership; initiative; spearhead
In Japanese, initiative is 主導, read しゅどう (shudou).
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, vs, vt leadership; initiative; spearhead
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “initiative”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 取り組み | とりくみ torikumi | effort; initiative; dealing with |
| 先制 | せんせい sensei | head start; initiative; preemption |
| 試み | こころみ kokoromi | endeavour (endeavor); effort; venture |
| 先鞭 | せんべん senben | initiative; pioneering |
| 発議 | はつぎ hatsugi | proposal; suggestion; motion |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 主義 | しゅぎ shugi | doctrine; rule; principle |
| 主張 | しゅちょう shuchou | claim; insistence; assertion |
| 民主 | みんしゅ minshu | democracy; popular sovereignty |
| 主催 | しゅさい shusai | sponsorship (i.e. conducting under one's auspices); promotion; organizing |
| 主要 | しゅよう shuyou | chief; main; principal |
| 主人 | しゅじん shujin | head (of a household); proprietor (of a store); proprietress |
| 指導 | しどう shidou | guidance; leadership; instruction |
| 導入 | どうにゅう dounyuu | introduction; bringing in; installation |
See also: Chinese symbol for “initiative”.
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.