Japanese symbol for “metropolis”
首都
しゅと
Romaji: shuto
(national) capital (city); metropolis
In Japanese, metropolis is 首都, read しゅと (shuto).
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 (national) capital (city); metropolis
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “metropolis”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 都 | と to | Metropolis (of Tokyo); (Tokyo) Metropolitan District; metropolitan prefecture |
| 大都市 | だいとし daitoshi | metropolis; large city |
| メトロポリス | メトロポリス metoroporisu | metropolis |
| 大都会 | だいとかい daitokai | metropolis; big city |
| 京師 | けいし keishi | capital; metropolis; old Kyoto |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 首相 | しゅしょう shushou | prime minister; chancellor (Germany, Austria, etc.); premier |
| 首脳 | しゅのう shunou | head; leader; top |
| 手首 | てくび tekubi | wrist |
| 足首 | あしくび ashikubi | ankle |
| 乳首 | ちくび chikubi | nipple; teat |
| 都市 | とし toshi | town; city; municipal |
| 都合 | つごう tsugou | circumstances; condition; convenience |
| 都内 | とない tonai | within the (Tokyo) metropolitan area |
See also: Chinese symbol for “metropolis”.
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.