Japanese symbol for “kingship”
王道
おうどう
Romaji: oudou
righteous government; just rule; kingship; rule of right
In Japanese, kingship is 王道, read おうどう (oudou).
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 righteous government; just rule; kingship; rule of right; noble path
- n easy method; simple approach; short-cut; royal road
- adj-no, n orthodox way; proper way; traditional manner; classic approach; tried-and-true method
Kanji and stroke order
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 王子 | おうじ ouji | prince |
| 女王 | じょおう joou | queen; female monarch; female sovereign |
| 王国 | おうこく oukoku | kingdom; monarchy |
| 王様 | おうさま ousama | king |
| 王者 | おうじゃ ouja | king; monarch; ruler |
| 王女 | おうじょ oujo | princess |
| 報道 | ほうどう houdou | report (of news); reporting; news |
| 道路 | どうろ douro | road; highway |
See also: Chinese symbol for “kingship”.
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.