Japanese symbol for “maelstrom”
渦
うず
Romaji: uzu
whirlpool; swirl; eddy; vortex
In Japanese, maelstrom is 渦, read うず (uzu).
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 whirlpool; swirl; eddy; vortex; maelstrom
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “maelstrom”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 渦巻き | うずまき uzumaki | whirlpool; maelstrom; vortex |
| 鳴門 | なると naruto | strait with a roaring tidal ebb and flow; whirlpool; maelstrom |
| 渦中 | かちゅう kachuu | vortex; maelstrom; whirlpool |
| 狂瀾怒涛 | きょうらんどとう kyourandotou | maelstrom; the state of affairs being in great turmoil |
| 渦流 | かりゅう karyuu | swirling current; eddy; whirlpool |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 渦巻き | うずまき uzumaki | whirlpool; maelstrom; vortex |
| 渦中 | かちゅう kachuu | vortex; maelstrom; whirlpool |
| 渦巻く | うずまく uzumaku | to whirl; to eddy; to swirl |
| 渦潮 | うずしお uzushio | whirling tides |
| 戦渦 | せんか senka | chaos of war; war turmoil |
| 渦状 | かじょう kajou | spiral |
See also: Chinese symbol for “maelstrom”.
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.