Japanese symbol for “insignia”
章
しょう
Romaji: shou
chapter; section
In Japanese, insignia is 章, read しょう (shou).
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 chapter; section
- n, n-suf medal; badge; insignia
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “insignia”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 旗印 | はたじるし hatajirushi | design (on a banner); emblem (on a flag); insignia |
| 記章 | きしょう kishou | medal; badge; insignia |
| 胸章 | きょうしょう kyoushou | badge (worn on the chest); medal; insignia |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 文章 | ぶんしょう bunshou | writing; composition; essay |
| 勲章 | くんしょう kunshou | decoration; order; medal |
| 紋章 | もんしょう monshou | crest; coat of arms |
| 憲章 | けんしょう kenshou | charter |
| 楽章 | がくしょう gakushou | movement |
| 受章 | じゅしょう jushou | reception of a decoration; reception of an order |
See also: Chinese symbol for “insignia”.
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.