Japanese symbol for “leather”
革
かわ
Romaji: kawa
leather
In Japanese, leather is 革, read かわ (kawa).
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 leather
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “leather”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 皮革 | ひかく hikaku | leather; hide |
| レザー | レザー rezaa | leather |
| なめし革 | なめしがわ nameshigawa | leather; tanned animal hide; suede |
| 作り皮 | つくりかわ tsukurikawa | leather; tanned animal hide |
| 革製 | かわせい kawasei | (made of) leather; leather-bound |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 革命 | かくめい kakumei | revolution |
| 改革 | かいかく kaikaku | reform; reformation; reorganization |
| 革新 | かくしん kakushin | reform; innovation |
| 変革 | へんかく henkaku | change; transformation; reform |
| 革靴 | かわぐつ kawagutsu | leather shoes; leather boots |
| 皮革 | ひかく hikaku | leather; hide |
See also: Chinese symbol for “leather”.
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.