Japanese symbol for “inspection”
検査
けんさ
Romaji: kensa
inspection (e.g. customs, factory); examination; test; check
In Japanese, inspection is 検査, read けんさ (kensa).
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 inspection (e.g. customs, factory); examination; test; check; scan (e.g. MRI, PET); audit
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “inspection”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 閲覧 | えつらん etsuran | inspection; reading; perusal |
| 見学 | けんがく kengaku | inspection; study by observation; field trip |
| 視察 | しさつ shisatsu | inspection; observation |
| 調べ | しらべ shirabe | investigation; inspection; examination |
| 監査 | かんさ kansa | inspection; audit; judgement |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 検討 | けんとう kentou | consideration; examination; investigation |
| 検証 | けんしょう kenshou | verification; confirmation; substantiation |
| 検察 | けんさつ kensatsu | criminal investigation; prosecution |
| 検事 | けんじ kenji | public prosecutor |
| 検定 | けんてい kentei | official certification; official approval; inspection |
| 調査 | ちょうさ chousa | investigation; examination; inquiry |
| 捜査 | そうさ sousa | search (esp. in criminal investigations); investigation; inquiry |
| 審査 | しんさ shinsa | judging; inspection; examination |
See also: Chinese symbol for “inspection”.
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.