Japanese symbol for “island”
島
しま
Romaji: shima
island
In Japanese, island is 島, read しま (shima).
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 island
- n one's territory (of a sex worker, organized crime gang, etc.); one's turf
Written forms: 島、嶋. Readings: しま、シマ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “island”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| アイランド | アイランド airando | island |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 半島 | はんとう hantou | peninsula |
| 列島 | れっとう rettou | archipelago; chain of islands |
| 中島 | なかじま nakajima | island in a pond or river |
| 小島 | こじま kojima | small island; islet |
| 島根 | しまね shimane | Shimane (prefecture) |
| 朝鮮半島 | ちょうせんはんとう chousenhantou | Korean peninsula |
See also: Chinese symbol for “island”.
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.