Japanese symbol for “jailer”
看守
かんしゅ
Romaji: kanshu
prison guard; warder; jailer; gaoler
In Japanese, jailer is 看守, read かんしゅ (kanshu).
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 prison guard; warder; jailer; gaoler
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “jailer”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 看守者 | かんしゅしゃ kanshusha | jailer; gaoler |
| 獄吏 | ごくり gokuri | jailer; gaoler |
| 牢番 | ろうばん rouban | prison guard; jailer; gaoler |
| 牢役人 | ろうやくにん rouyakunin | (Edo-period) jail warden; jailer |
| 獄司 | ごくし gokushi | jail warden; jailer |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 看護 | かんご kango | nursing; (army) nurse |
| 看板 | かんばん kanban | signboard; sign; billboard |
| 看病 | かんびょう kanbyou | nursing (a patient) |
| 看過 | かんか kanka | overlooking; turning a blind eye |
| 看護婦 | かんごふ kangofu | (female) nurse |
| 守る | まもる mamoru | to protect; to guard; to defend |
| 保守 | ほしゅ hoshu | maintenance |
| 守備 | しゅび shubi | defense; defence |
See also: Chinese symbol for “jailer”.
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.